Effects of Listener’s Histories on Following Rules that are Discrepant to Contingencies

Abstract

Testing proposition by aiming on the listener's history critical characteristics that may meddle on the discrepant-rule following, eight college students were exposed to a matching to sample procedure. The task was to point to the three comparison stimuli in a sequence. In Phase 1 no sequence was instructed or reinforced. Phase 2 begun with the rule corresponding to the contingencies. Contingencies effective in Phase 2 were shifted without warning in Phase 3. Contingencies in Phase 3 were kept unchanged in Phase 4, which started with the presentation of a discrepant rule. Six out of eight participants showed an independent behavior and two out of eight showed a dependent behavior from its immediate consequences in Phase 3. From those six out of eight participants showing an independent behavior, four managed to follow the discrepant-rule in Phase 4. And from the latter two out of eight showing a dependent behavior, all of them abandoned the discrepant-rule following in Phase 4. It is suggested that the behavior's dependence and independence to its immediate consequences, before the discrepant-rule presentation, are critical variables of the listener's history that may be used to foresee maintenance, or not, from the subsequent discrepant-rule following.

Flexibilização de avaliações acerca de profissões após um programa em orientação profissional

“…Alguns estudos apontam que a principal fonte de variabilidade comportamental está na capacidade de os organismos ficarem mais sensíveis às contingências naturais e de seguir menos as instruções e regras socialmente difundidas (Albuquerque, , 2005Albuquerque, Paracampo, & Allan, 2017;Albuquerque, Silva, & Paracampo, 2014;Albuquerque, Souza, Matos, & Paracampo, 2003;Albuquerque & Paracampo 2010;Albuquerque, Reis, & Paracampo, 2006;Albuquerque & Silva, 2006;Catania, 1998;Catania, Matthews, & Shimoff, 1990;Catania, Shimoff, & Matthews, 1989;Cerutti, 1989;Joyce & Chase, 1990;LeFrancois, Chase, & Joyce, 1988;Lima, Albuquerque, & Paracampo, 2017;Paracampo, et al, 2001;Paracampo, Souza, & Albuquerque, 2014;Santos, Albuquerque, & Paracampo, 2004;Skinner, 1969;Torgrud & Holborn, 1990;Zettle & Hayes, 1982). Esses estudos sugerem que o seguimento estrito de instruções pode levar os indivíduos a comportamentos muito rígidos e a dificuldades de adaptar seus comportamentos a situações novas, para as quais não há desempenhos pré-estabelecidos.…”