Effects of orienting instructions on human fixed-interval performance

Abstract

The effect! of orienting instruetioft8-those instructions usually giTeft to human IlUbjecta to acquaint them with the experimental task and contextual stimuli prior to the start of an operant experiment-on human fixed-interval performance were investigated in a between-groups design. Each of four groups of subjects was exposed to only one set of the following instructions:(1) instructions that described the apparatus but not the response manipulandum; (2) same as Instruction 1, but with a description of the response manipulandum; (3) same as Instruction 2, but with a demonstration of the response; or (4) same as Instruction 3, but with an additional instruction to maximize reinforcement. Each of the instructional sets differentially affected responding between groups: Instruction 1 produced the lowest rates and Instruction 4 produced the highest. Thus, different orienting instructions, as discriminative stimuli, do not set equivalent occasions for responding. Moreover, orienting instructions may interact with scheduled contingencies and/or contingency-specifying instructions to jointly control human performance in operant contexts.

Effects of orienting instructions on sensitivity to scheduled contingencies

“…Although effects of the latter on behavior have been investigated in some detail (for a review, see Baron & Galizio, 1983), the effects of the former have been examined only rarely (e.g., see Terrell, Bennett, Buskist, & Williams, 1986). Furthermore, although the effects of contingency-specifying instructions have been addressed, the effects of such instructions have typically not been separated from possible effects of orienting instructions per se, thus providing a possible methodological confound.In one study of the effects of orienting instructions (Terrell et al, 1986), four groups of subjects received different orienting instructions prior to being exposed to a fixedinterval (FI) schedule of reinforcement. Orienting instructions differentially affected response rates of subjects across each of the groups.…”

“…Although effects of the latter on behavior have been investigated in some detail (for a review, see Baron & Galizio, 1983), the effects of the former have been examined only rarely (e.g., see Terrell, Bennett, Buskist, & Williams, 1986). Furthermore, although the effects of contingency-specifying instructions have been addressed, the effects of such instructions have typically not been separated from possible effects of orienting instructions per se, thus providing a possible methodological confound.…”

“…In one study of the effects of orienting instructions (Terrell et al, 1986), four groups of subjects received different orienting instructions prior to being exposed to a fixedinterval (FI) schedule of reinforcement. Orienting instructions differentially affected response rates of subjects across each of the groups.…”

Emissão de sequências de baixa probabilidade inicial em esquemas de reforçamento contínuo concorrentes a reforçamento por variação: efeitos de instruções

“…Nessas condições, a variável crítica pode ser, portanto, a formulação de regras pelo próprio participante. Consequentemente, uma pesquisa que avalie a proposição de Neuringer (2009) & Paracampo, 2010, Terrell, Bennett, Buskist, & Williams, 1986Weiner, 1970, dentre outros), tipo de consequências programadas para o seguimento de instruções (Galizio, 1979;, a exposição a várias instruções diferentes (Joyce & Chase, 1990;LeFrancois, Chase & Joyce, 1988;Paracampo, Souza, Matos, e Albuquerque 2001; Perez, Reis, de Souza, 2010;Santos, Paracampo & Albuquerque, 2004), a complexidade das contingências programadas para o comportamento não-verbal (Albuquerque & Ferreria, 2001, Cerutti, 1994, Newman, Hemmes, Buffington & Andreopoulos, 1994 e o grau de discrepância entre as contingências e as instruções (e.g. Galizio, 1979), dentre outras.…”

“…Segundo eles, as instruções que indicavam explicitamente a necessidade de "descobrir o que é uma sequência correta ou incorreta" 13 (Maes & van der Goot, 2006, p. 82) (Neuringer, 2009, p. 333) Albuquerque, et al, 2010, Braga, et al, 2005Farias, et al, 2010) ou de conteúdos específicos das instruções (e.g. Albuquerque & Ferreira, 2001, DeGrandpre, et al, 1990, Teixeira Jr. & Paracampo, 2010, Terrell, et al, 1986Weiner, 1970 Desse modo, ainda que seja possível sustentar a conclusão ora apresentada de que as instruções utilizadas nesta pesquisa não promoveram efeitos diferenciais significativos sobre a emissão de SAs, não se pode afirmar que isso afasta a hipótese de que "a busca de regras sobre o funcionamento das contingências em vigor" interfere nesse tipo de desempenho.…”