Acta Comportamentalia

Effects of varying the spatial position of the contextualized and contextualizing stimulus on the differential adjustment

Dos estudios fueron realizados para evaluar el efecto de variar la localización de eventos de estímulo no contingentes (orden y lugar en el que ocurrieron) sobre el ajuste diferencial. En el primer estudio ocho ratas fueron expuestas a tres condiciones experimentales que se caracterizaron por la manipulación de las coordenadas espaciales en las que se entregó el agua (Espacio Fijo, Secuencial y Aleatorio) usando un programa de Tiempo Fijo 20s. En el segundo experimento, ocho ratas fueron expuestas a condiciones similares a las del primer experimento, con la diferencia que en este estudio se presentó una señal luminosa asociada a la localización de la entrega de agua. Los datos fueron analizados como un caso de la Función Contextual propuesta por Ribes y López (1985). Los resultados sugieren que el ajuste diferencial es afectado por: (a) la consistencia de la ocurrencia de estímulos en coordenadas espaciales fijas a través del tiempo; (b) la ocurrencia de la señal luminosa en conjunción con la presentación del agua, (c) la contigüidad espacial entre dichos estímulos. Se propusieron diversas unidades de medida con el fin de identificar el ajuste diferencial.

Two studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of varying the spatial location of non-contingent stimuli events (in order and place of occurrence) on differential adjustment. In the first study, eight rats were exposed to three experimental conditions that were characterized by the manipulation of the spatial coordinates in which water was delivered (fixed, sequential or random spatial coordinates) using a Fixed Time 20s schedule. In the second experiment, eight rats were exposed to conditions similar to those in the first experiment, but now there was a signal stimulus correlated with the location of water delivery. Data were analyzed as a case of contextual function proposed by Ribes & López (1985). The results suggest that the differential adjustment is affected by: (a) the consistency of the occurrence of stimuli in fixed spatial coordinates through time; (b) the conjoint occurrence of signal and water delivery location; and (c) the spatial contiguity between these stimuli. Several measurement units to identify the differential adjustment related to contextual function were proposed.

Learning by exclusion and class formation on children with impaired hearing and cochlear implant

Estudos sobre o responder por exclusão têm mostrado que participantes tendem a selecionar um objeto novo ou uma figura nova quando uma palavra nova é ditada, rejeitando os objetos e figuras conhecidos ou relacionados a outras palavras. O objetivo deste estudo foi estabelecer relações condicionais entre palavra ditada e figura e entre figura e palavra impressa, via exclusão, e verificar se seria condição para a emergência de relações entre palavra ditada-palavra impressa, palavra impressa-figura, nomeação de figuras e leitura de palavras; também se verificou se ocorreria o responder generalizado diante das mesmas palavras ditadas em voz feminina para outras frequências de voz como a masculina e a infantil. Participaram cinco crianças entre cinco a nove anos, com deficiência auditiva bilateral neurosensorial, usuárias de implante coclear Nucleus 24k®. Os participantes foram expostos, individualmente, a tarefas que consistiram em selecionar estímulos de comparação (ora figura, ora palavra impressa) relacionados ao modelo (ora palavra ditada, ora figura). Foram adotadas como estímulos as palavras com as quais os participantes apresentaram baixo desempenho no pré-teste. As relações entre palavra ditada e figura (AB) e figura e palavra impressa (BC) foram ensinadas por exclusão. Foram testadas as relações entre: palavra ditada e palavra impressa (AC), palavra impressa e figura (CB), generalização entre palavras ditadas com vozes masculina (A'C) e infantil (A''C), de nomeação (BD) e de leitura (CD). As crianças responderam por exclusão e aprenderam as relações AB e BC, demonstrando aquisição de vocabulário receptivo; também demonstraram resultados consistentes com a formação de classes de equivalência pelos acertos nas relações AC e CB; todas demonstraram generalização para voz masculina e infantil e em nomeação os resultados não foram consistentes. No que concerne ao responder por exclusão os resultados foram similares aos de ouvintes típicos e descrevem condições sob as quais repertório verbal receptivo pode ser melhorado.

Studies on learning by exclusion have shown that participants tend to select a new object or a new figure when a new word is dictated, rejecting the objects and figures they already know or that were associated with other words. This study aimed at training conditional relations between dictated word-picture and between picture-printed word, by exclusion, and verify whether this training would be a condition for the emergence of relations between dictated word-printed word, printed word-figure, picture naming and reading. We also investigated whether responding to the words dictated with a female voice generalized to other frequencies such as male and child voices. Participants were five children between five and nine years old, with acute neurosensorial bilateral hearing impairment, users of cochlear implant Nucleus 24k®. They were exposed, individually, to tasks that consisted in selecting a comparison stimulus (either picture or printed word) related to the sample (either dictated word or picture). Words with lowest scores on a pre-test were used. The relations between dictated word-figure (AB) and figure-printed word (BC) were taught by exclusion. We assessed the emergence of the relations between dictated and printed words (AC), printed word and picture (CB), male and child voices generalization (A'C and A''C), naming (BD) and reading (CD). All the children responded by exclusion and learned relations AB and BC, showing receptive vocabulary; AC and CB relations also were learned, consistent with class formation. Responding generalized to male and child voices, but data on naming were not systematic. Learning by exclusion was similar to that of children with typical hearing and these results describe some conditions that can improve receptive verbal repertoire.

The role of verbal exchange within the solution of tasks in primary school children

Con la presente investigación se pretendió explorar el papel de la exposición a diferentes arreglos contingenciales (individual, colectivo y compartido) sobre el establecimiento y cualidad (en términos de su estatus instancial, modal o relacional) de los intercambios verbales que los participantes establecen y su impacto sobre las medidas instrumentales individuales en la solución de tareas. Para ello, se utilizó una tarea de armado de rompecabezas virtuales. La programación y ordenación de las sesiones experimentales se realizó de acuerdo con una lógica progresiva, yendo desde condiciones individuales hasta condiciones compartidas, y se registraron las interacciones verbales emergentes en cada condición en atención al marco teórico-metodológico propuesto por Ribes (2001) para el estudio de la conducta social desde una perspectiva psicológica. Se encontró que el tipo de contingencia a la que los participantes son expuestos se relaciona de manera directa con la emergencia y cualidad de los intercambios verbales que estos mismos establecen, y que el desempeño instrumental reportado por los participantes se ve favorecido por la presencia de los mismos. Además, los datos sugieren que ampliar la historia de exposición ante contingencias compartidas favorece la emergencia, amplía el tiempo total y diversifica la cualidad de las interacciones verbales que los participantes establecen.

The present study pretended to explore the role of different contingential arrays (i.e., individual, collective or shared) on the establishment of verbal exchange and its impact over the individual instrumental measures on task solving. A task of virtual puzzle assembling was used, displayed in computers that could be interconnected or not, depending on the experimental condition. The programming and ordination of the experimental sessions was made according to a logical progression, going from individual conditions to shared conditions. Emerging verbal interactions were registered on each condition in accordance to the theoretical and methodological framework proposed by Ribes (2001) for the social behavior study from a psychological perspective. Furthermore, we attempted to determine the effect of the exposure history to different contingential arrays on the emerging, effective conversation time and quality (in terms of its instantial, modal or relational status) of verbal interactions over the instrumental performance of the participants (correct or incorrect placements in the visual puzzles). It was found that: 1) the type of contingency to which participants were exposed seemed to be directly related with the emergence and quality of the established verbal exchanges that they established, and 2) the instrumental performance of the participants was favored by the presence and the kind of verbal exchanges. The results suggest that extending the exposure history to shared contingencies could affect the emergence, the extension and the quality of the verbal interactions established by the participants.

Teaching the implementation of computerized matching-to-sample tasks to teach reading

Pesquisas em equivalência de estímulos utilizam tarefas de matching-to-sample (MTS) para produzir relações condicionais entre estímulos e estudos derivados as utilizam para o ensino de comportamento verbal, leitura e outras habilidades acadêmicas, com resultados bastante promissores. A aplicação desses procedimentos por educadores poderá trazer implicações importantes no ensino de leitura para crianças e é uma questão que vem sendo investigada. Este trabalho descreveu e avaliou um procedimento para ensinar estudantes universitários a implementar tarefas de MTS computadorizadas para leitura. O Estudo 1 objetivou avaliar se quatro participantes, após serem ensinadas a: (1) elaborar, (2) aplicar tarefas de MTS envolvendo a relação AB (palavra ditada-figura); e (3) analisar relatório de desempenho, mostrariam generalização desses repertórios para novos estímulos. Primeiro, os participantes foram solicitados a ensinar a leitura de três palavras - pato, gato e dedo - a um auxiliar de pesquisa no papel de aprendiz. Após, a experimentadora conduziu uma demonstração das classes de respostas envolvidas em (1), (2) e (3), e, após, os participantes foram solicitados a repetirem a demonstração. Nos testes, utilizaram-se novas palavras. O Estudo 2 compreendeu replicação sistemática do Estudo 1 envolvendo a relação AC (palavras ditadas-palavras impressas), tendo quatro participantes. Todas as participantes aprenderam a implementar tarefas de MTS computadorizadas e apresentaram generalizaçãopara novos estímulos. Os resultados foram discutidos com base na efetividade do procedimento, bem como foram ressaltadas as contribuições desse trabalho no delineamento de programas de ensino de professores.

Stimulus equivalence research uses matching-to-sample (MTS) tasks to establish conditional stimulus relations and research based on MTS tasks also applies them to the teaching of verbal behavior, reading and other academic skills, with promising results. The application of these procedures by educators can bring important implications to the teaching of children on how to read and it has been investigated in its own right. Using these tasks to teach language and academic repertoires, such as reading is a current issue. This paper aimed to describe and evaluate a procedure to teach university students to implement computerized MTS tasks for reading. In Study 1, four participants were assessed on the extent to which whether, after being taught to: (1) create, and (2) apply MTS tasks comprising AB relation (dictated words-pictures); and 3) analyze student data report using three words, they would show generalization of the aforementioned repertoires to novel words. First, the participants were asked to teach a confederate role-playing a child to read three words - pato, gato and dedo. Next, the experimenter performed demonstrations of the response classes involved in (1), (2), and (3), and after the participants were asked to repeat the demonstration by themselves. During tests, novel words were used. In Study 2, a follow-up of Study 1 using the AC relation (dictated words-printed words) was carried out with four participants. All participants learned to implement computerized MTS tasks and showed generalization to novel stimuli. Results were discussed in terms of the effectiveness of the procedure for training teachers, and the contributions of the findings to the design of teachers training programs were highlighted as well.

Effects of training type and linguistic mode on the adjustment to conventional contingencies

Se evaluaron los efectos del entrenamiento de dos competencias lingüísticas contextuales con variaciones en los parámetros espacio-temporales, adquiridas bajo uno de dos modos lingüísticos (leer-escribir o hablar-escuchar) sobre el ajuste conductual a los criterios de diferencialidad y de efectividad en interacciones mediadas lingüísticamente. Participaron 40 estudiantes con edades entre 17 y 27 años, quienes fueron divididos en cuatro grupos experimentales establecidos a partir de un diseño factorial que combinaba dos tipos de entrenamiento de competencias lingüísticas contextuales y dos modos lingüísticos diferenciales. La tarea experimental estaba compuesta por una fase de entrenamiento y una prueba de mediación lingüística de contingencias. Los resultados obtenidos permitieron determinar que la adquisición, el desarrollo y la transferencia de competencias lingüísticas contextuales se vieron afectados por el modo lingüístico en que tales interacciones tuvieron lugar. A partir de los datos obtenidos se discute la importancia del estudio de las propiedades funcionales de los modos lingüísticos sobre el aprendizaje y la transferencia de competencias lingüísticas y la necesidad de la reflexión conceptual en torno a los factores implicados en el ajuste conductual a contingencias mediadas lingüísticamente.

We assessed the effects of training two contextual linguistics competences acquired under one of two linguistic modes (read-write or speak-listen), with variations in spatial-temporal parameters, on the behavioral adjustment to the criteria of differentiality and effectiveness in linguistically mediated interactions. Forty undergraduates, between 17 and 27 years old, were randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups established from a factorial design combining two types of contextual language skills training and two differential linguistic modes. The experimental task consisted of a pretest phase, a training phase and a test of linguistic mediation of contingences. The results indicated that the acquisition, development and transfer of contextual language skills were affected by the linguistic mode in which such interactions occurred. The importance of studying the functional properties of linguistic modes of learning and communicative interactions and the need for conceptual thinking about the factors involved in setting linguistically mediated behavioral contingencies are discussed.

Choice and Preference for caloric and non caloric food in children with intellectual disabilities and overweight

Obesidade e sobrepeso são consideradas questões relevantes de saúde atualmente. Este estudo investigou se o valor calórico do alimento (Fase 1) e sua magnitude (Fases 2 e 3) controlavam o comportamento de escolha de dois indivíduos de nove e treze anos com sobrepeso e deficiência intelectual. Foram elaboradas duas gomas idênticas, diferindo apenas no valor calórico. Na Fase 1, escolhas nos Botões 1 e 2 foram seguidas por uma goma calórica e uma goma não calórica, respectivamente. Na Fase 2, escolhas nos Botões 1 e 2 foram seguidas por uma goma calórica e duas gomas não calóricas, respectivamente. Na Fase 3, escolhas nos Botões 1 e 2 foram seguidas por uma goma calórica e uma não calórica e uma goma não calórica, respectivamente. Quatro apresentações dos esquemas constituíam uma sessão. Os dados de interesse foram as respostas de escolha nos Botões 1 e 2. Os resultados dos participantes na Fase 1 tenderam a indiferença entre alternativas. Na Fase 2, P1 demonstrou preferência pela alternativa de maior magnitude, porém na Fase 3, a magnitude exerceu pouco controle sobre sua resposta de escolha. Os dados de P2 tenderam a indiferença nas duas fases. Questionou-se o valor reforçador dos estímulos empregados no estudo.

Obesity and overweight are considered relevant health issues today. Although much is known about the types of foods that contribute to it, few results have been observed in the control of impulsivity commonly involved in the food intake. Under the Experimental Analysis of Behavior perspective, impulsivity can be addressed within the choice paradigm through the model of concurrent-chain schedules in which responses to two alternatives of concurrent and independent schedules of reinforcement lead to other two schedules of reinforcement, depending on the chosen alternative. This experimental model allows the manipulation of many variables, among which delay of reinforcement. This study investigated whether the caloric value of food (Phase 1) and its magnitude (Phases 2 and 3) controlled the choice behavior of two individuals of nine and thirteen years with overweight and intellectual disability. Two identical gums were prepared, differing only in caloric value. In Phase 1, choices on Buttons 1 and 2 were followed by one caloric gum and one non-caloric gum, respectively. In Phase 2, choices on Buttons 1 and 2 were followed by one caloric gum and two non caloric gums, respectively. In Phase 3, choices on Buttons 1 and 2 were followed by one caloric and one non-caloric gum and a non-caloric gum, respectively. Four presentations of the schedules constituted a session. The data of interest were the responses of choice in Buttons 1 and 2. The first results illustrated that there is no preference for high-caloric foods, and will be considered as baseline for continuing the study, in which each of the possible controlling variables of food choice could be introduced (e.g., delay of reinforcing contingency, magnitude of reinforcement and response cost).The results of the participants in Phase 1 tended to indifference between alternatives. In Phase 2, P1 showed preference for the alternative of greater magnitude, but in Phase 3, the magnitude had little control over his choice response. The data of P2 tended to indifference in the two phases. It was discussed the reinforcing value of the stimuli used in the study. Studies on the nature of choice and preference for non-caloric and caloric foods are important to identify and describe appropriate procedures to understand and control food intake in populations in need, for example, preschool overweight or obese and with delayed intellectual development.

Guide and flow-chart development as support for cultural designs

No contexto da Análise Comportamental da Cultura, permeando os conflitos ético-teóricos e as dificuldades tecnológicas que se antepõem aos delineamentos culturais, observa-se a carência de um trabalho de sistematização das opções disponíveis para a conversão de planejamentos culturais em intervenções concretas. Nesse contexto de investigação inserem-se os interesses desta pesquisa, pautados pelo objetivo do desenvolvimento de um "guia orientador" e de um "fluxograma para delineamentos culturais", instrumentos concebidos como facilitadores e preliminares à consecução de intervenções planejadas em práticas culturais interpretadas sob a ótica da Análise do Comportamento. O plano de trabalho fundamentou-se no propósito de elaborar instrumentos capazes de auxiliar pesquisadores na tarefa preliminar de responder às principais indagações, de variada dimensão e natureza, que permeiam a atuação do analista comportamental da cultura. Os autores encarecem aos leitores e eventuais usuários contra qualquer possibilidade de que os instrumentos sejam tomados como receitas prontas para elaboração de delineamentos culturais. Na direção contrária, entendem que referidos instrumentos são contextualizados teórica e eticamente e sugere-se que testá-los, criticá-los e, por certo, reformulá-los e aperfeiçoá-los pode constituir atividade bem-vinda de parte da comunidade científica da área.

In the context of Behavior Analysis of Culture, concerning the ethical and theoretical conflicts and technological difficulties which are set before the development of cultural designs, there is a lack of a systematic organization of the available options for the conversion of cultural planning into specific interventions. In this context of investigations is where the interests of this research are situated and guided by the goal of developing a "guide" and a "flow-chart for cultural designs", which are preliminary and facilitative instruments to the accomplishment of planned interventions in cultural practices referenced by Behavior Analysis. The work plan considered the purpose of assisting researchers in the primary task of answering the main questions of varied dimension and nature which permeate the performance of behavior analyst of culture. The authors warn to the readers and users about any possibility that the instruments are taken as ready-recipes for the development of cultural designs. In the opposite direction, they understand that these instruments are theoretically and ethically contextualized and it is suggested that test, criticize and certainly re-plan them can constitute welcome activities by part of the scientific community in this area.

Aversive property of operant extinction in positive reinforced behaviors

O conceito de extinção operante é composto, em sua definição, de aspectos referentes à operação e ao processo. Para uma resposta reforçada positivamente, a extinção (a) como operação, refere-se à suspensão do reforço do responder; e (b) como processo, refere-se à redução no responder que tal operação produz. Este trabalho discute as propriedades aversivas na operação de extinção para comportamentos previamente mantidos sob reforçamento positivo. As evidências são organizadas em três categorias: evidências funcionais (destaque sobre a função supressora e reforçadora negativa da extinção); evidências topográficas e estruturais (destaque sobre a classe de respostas eliciada/evocada pela extinção comparando-a com a classe eliciada/evocada por estímulos tradicionalmente considerados aversivos incondicionados); e evidências biológicas (destaque sobre a influência nos sistemas biológicos decorrente da extinção, comparando-a com influências biológicas dependentes de estímulos aversivos convencionais). Ao final, conclui-se que a extinção de fato apresenta um subproduto aversivo, o que deve ser considerado em contextos e manipulações experimentais ou aplicadas. Salienta-se a necessidade de mais investigações teórico-conceituais e empíricas a respeito deste tema.

The concept of operant extinction has two connotations, as an operation and as a process. For positive reinforced responses, the extinction (a) as an operation, refers to withdraw of reinforcement; and (b) as a process, refers to the reduction of responses as a result of this operation. This work discusses aversive properties in extinction operation for previously positive reinforced behaviors. The evidences are organized in three categories: functional evidences (targeting the suppressive and negative reinforcing function of extinction); structural and topographical evidences (targeting the response class elicited/evoked by the extinction in comparison to the response class elicited/evoked by other unconditioned aversive stimuli); and biological evidences (targeting the biological influences consequent to extinction in comparison to biological influences dependent on other aversive stimuli). It is concluded that extinction indeed has an aversive sub-product, and that it should be considered in applied and experimental manipulations and settings. The need of more theoretical-conceptual and empirical investigations of this subject matter is highlighted.