Rule‐governed Behavior and Sensitivity to Changing Consequences of Responding

Abstract

Humans were presented with a task that required moving a light through a matrix. Button presses could produce light movements according to a multiple fixed-ratio 18/differential-reinforcement-oflow-rate 6-s schedule, with components alternating every 2 min. Moving the light through the maze earned points worth chances on money prizes. In Experiment 1 four conditions were assessed through between-subject comparisons: minimal instructions, instructions to press rapidly, instructions to press slowly, and instructions that sometimes rapid responding would work while at other times a slow rate would work best. Subjects responded in three successive sessions of 32 min each. The results suggested that instructions affected the nature of the contact made with the programmed consequences and thus subsequent performance. In some cases, responding seemed to result from added contingencies introduced by stating rules. In Experiment 2 the relative contribution of these two effects was assessed by presenting and then withdrawing two lights that had been paired with two specific instructions: "Go Fast" or "Go Slow." There were three conditions. In one condition, only the Go Fast light was on; in a second, only the Go Slow light was on; and in a third, the lights alternated each minute. In each condition, half the subjects had all instruction lights turned off after the first session. The results once again showed an effect of instructions on contact with the programmed consequences. However, responding sometimes continued in a manner consistent with added contingencies for rule-following even when the programmed consequences had been contacted and would have controlled a different type of responding in the absence of instructions. The relevance of added contingencies for rule-following in determining the effects of explicitly programmed consequences is emphasized.

Instruções e iniqüidade de reforços: efeitos sobre o comportamento competitivo

“…Diversos estudos têm indicado que (a) a insensibilidade comportamental tende a ocorrer naquelas situações em que o responder continua produzindo conseqüências reforçadoras após a mudança, e (b) quanto maior a freqüência de reforços disponíveis na nova contingência, mais acentuada a persistência do responder (Buskist, Bennett, & Miller, 1981;Catania, Matthews, & Shimoff, 1982;Galizio, 1979;Hayes, Brownstein, Zettle, Rosenfarb, & Korn, 1986;Kaufman, Baron, & Kopp, 1966;Newman, Buffington & Hemmes, 1995). Resultados semelhantes foram observados no presente estudo: (a) os padrões de escolha apresentados por ambos os participantes continuaram gerando pontos após a reversão, o que contribuiu para a persistência do responder, e (b) a insensibilidade foi menos acentuada quando resultava em perdas dos reforços programados (Participantes 1).…”

Variáveis que podem interferir no seguir regras de participantes flexíveis e inflexíveis

“…Um problema, no entanto, que ainda não está claro nessa área de pesquisa, é a variabilidade nos resultados (relativos ao seguimento e ao não-seguimento de regras), frequentemente encontrada, dentro de uma mesma condição experimental, em alguns dos estudos (por exemplo, Albuquerque et al, 2003;Hayes, Brownstein, Zettle, Rosenfarb, & Korn, 1986;LeFrancois, Chase, & Joyce, 1988;Newman, Buffi ngton, & Hemmes, 1995;Oliveira & Albuquerque, 2007;Paracampo & Albuquerque, 2004;Shimoff, Catania, & Matthews, 1981).…”

Rule-following and human operant responding: Conceptual and methodological considerations

“…Changes to schedule-typical responding which subjects show upon the withdrawal of instructions suggest that following such rules may be interpreted as an instance of pliance (Hayes et al, 1986). Similarly, Hayes et al have suggested that differential effects of shaped versus experimenter-instructed rules (Catania et al, 1982) (Matthews et al, 1985) suggests that shaped guesses which specify particular ways of responding (e.g., "press fast") are more likely to exert such control than those merely tacting the relevant contingencies (e.g., "the button works after a random number of presses").…”