Conceptual and Experimental Directions for Analyzing Superstition in the Behavioral Analysis of Culture

This paper examines the notions of illusions and beliefs, discussing some advantages offered by the study of these phenomena based on the concepts of superstitious behavior, superstition and superstitious rules. Among these advantages, the study highlights the possibility of researching these relationships in different levels of analysis, not only at the individual level, focusing on cultural level, this paper presents Cultural Materialism as an anthropological proposal for the consideration of these phenomena on the cultural level and based on adaptive principles, besides it discusses the experimental analysis of cultural practices and points out how they can help to understand how people in groups behave such as they are being effective in the control of the surrounding environment (when, sometimes, in fact, they are not). The paper offers an integrative proposal which makes easier behavior analysts’ dialogue with social psychologists and offers some routes from cultural analysis of illusions and belief

CONTROLE RESTRITO EM UMA TAREFA DE MATCHING-TO-SAMPLE COM PALAVRAS E SÍLABAS: AVALIAÇÃO DO DESEMPENHO DE UMA CRIANÇA DIAGNOSTICADA COM AUTISMO

The aims of the present study were (1) identifying restricted stimuli control at performance of an autistic sixyear-old-boy in a matching-to-sample task (MTS) that used syllables and words as stimuli and (2) assessing a procedure, known as differential observing response (DOR), which not allowed the child to respond to a comparison stimuli based on just one syllable of the word presented as model. Pre-tests sessions were conducted with simultaneous or delay MTS tasks with syllables and words. The accuracy on intermediate levels in DMTS word/syllables or in SMTS word/word indicated that the participant chose based on one of the syllables of the sample stimulus, but not based on both of them. The analysis of the errors showed that, usually, the participant responded under control of the first syllable, choosing a word, presented as a comparison, which contained the first syllable of the model. Accuracy at the baseline was compared with the precision in a task that required that participant’s responses were based, in separated trials, on both syllables of the compound stimulus. The results indicated that, during the DMTS procedure with SMTS word/word trials, the restricted control wasn’t completely reduced. However, with the return to the baseline, there was improvement in the participant’s performance, indicating a decrease of restricted control and changes in the pattern of error.Key-words: restricted stimulus control, observing response; matching-to-sample; autism.Os objetivos do presente estudo foram (1) identificar controle restrito de estímulos no desempenho de um menino autista em uma tarefa de matching-to-sample (MTS) que utilizou sílabas e palavras como estímulos e (2) avaliar um procedimento conhecido como resposta de observação diferencial (DOR), que impedia que o responder da criança aos estímulos comparação fosse baseado em apenas uma das sílabas da palavra apresentada como modelo. Foram conduzidas sessões de pré-teste em tarefas de MTS simultâneo (SMTS) ou com atraso (DMTS). Precisão em nível intermediários em tarefas de DMTS palavra/sílaba ou em tarefas SMTS palavra/palavra indicou que o participante respondia aos estímulos comparação com base em apenas uma das sílabas da palavra apresentada como modelo. A análise dos erros mostrou que, em geral, o participante respondia sob controle da primeira sílaba, escolhendo qualquer uma das palavras apresentadas como estímulo-comparação que tivesse a mesma primeira sílaba da palavra apresentada como modelo. Posteriormente, a precisão em linha de base DMTS palavras/sílabas foi comparada com a precisão em uma tarefa em que tentativas SMTS palavra/palavra eram intercaladas com tentativas DMTS palavras/sílabas. Os resultados indicaram que durante a vigência do procedimento com tentativas DMTS intercaladas às tentativas SMTS não ocorreu correção completa do controle restrito. No entanto, com o retorno à linha de base, observou-se a melhora no desempenho do participante, indicando a diminuição do controle restrito e mudança no padrão de erro. Palavras-chave: controle restrito de estímulos; resposta de observação; matching-to-sample; autismo

Conceptual and Experimental Directions for Analyzing Superstition in the Behavioral Analysis of Culture

This paper examines the notions of illusions and beliefs, discussing some advantages offered by the study of these phenomena based on the concepts of superstitious behavior, superstition and superstitious rules. Among these advantages, the study highlights the possibility of researching these relationships in different levels of analysis, not only at the individual level, focusing on cultural level, this paper presents Cultural Materialism as an anthropological proposal for the consideration of these phenomena on the cultural level and based on adaptive principles, besides it discusses the experimental analysis of cultural practices and points Out how they can help to understand how people in groups behave such as they are being effective in the control of the surrounding environment (when, sometimes, in fact, they are not). The paper offers an integrative proposal which makes easier behavior analysts' dialogue with social psychologists and offers some routes from cultural analysis of illusions and beliefs

EFEITOS DA EXIGÊNCIA DE DESEMPENHOS ENTRELAÇADOS SOBRE LINHA DE BASE EM ESQUEMA SIMPLES DE REFORÇO

This study investigated the effects of an interlocking performance requirement, spacing of responses of three participants, on the triads’ operant pattern in variable interval schedule of reinforcement. The task consisted of a kind of game in which the only possible response, click the mouse button, was free to occur and could produce individual consequences (in VI 3 s or VI 12 s) and consequences contingent on the requirement that participants to click spaced with respect to each other. Twelve college students constituted four triads. Two conditions were programmed in a reversal design ABAB: Condition A, only operant contingency was in effect; Condition B, operant and cultural contingencies in effect. The results showed that, regardless of the individual schedule of reinforcement parameters, the overlap of an interlocking performance requirement selected a pattern of coordination among participants' responses. The suspension and reintroduction of interlocking requirement showed that systematic changes in the pattern of occurrence of interlocking behavior were function of the manipulated variable. The requirement of spacing between participants' responses to produce an experimentally arranged consequence can be characterized as a metacontingency. The procedure, in this sense, demonstrates the effects of different levels of variation and selection in action simultaneously for individual behavior and for interlocking performances. Key words: Cultural Selection, interlocking behavioral contingencies, schedules of reinforcement, free operant. Foram investigados os efeitos da exigência de desempenhos entrelaçados, espaçamento de respostas de três participantes, sobre o responder de tríades em esquemas de reforço em intervalo variável. A tarefa consistiu em um jogo, no qual a única resposta possível, clicar o botão do mouse, era livre para ocorrer e podia produzir consequências individuais (em VI 3 s ou VI 12 s) e consequências contingentes à exigência de que os participantes clicassem espaçadamente em relação uns aos outros. Doze estudantes universitários formaram quatro tríades. Duas condições foram programadas em um delineamento de reversão ABAB: Condição A, apenas contingência operante; Condição B, contingências operante e cultural em vigor. Os resultados mostraram que, independente do parâmetro do esquema de reforçamento individual, a sobreposição da exigência de desempenho entrelaçado selecionou um padrão de coordenação entre as respostas dos participantes. A suspensão e reintrodução da exigência do entrelaçamento mostrou que mudanças sistemáticas no padrão de ocorrência dos desempenhos entrelaçados foram função da variável manipulada. A exigência de espaçamento entre as respostas dos participantes para produção de uma consequência arranjada experimentalmente pode ser caracterizada como uma metacontingência. O procedimento, nesse sentido, demonstra a atuação de níveis diferentes de variação e seleção em ação simultaneamente para o comportamento dos participantes e para desempenhos entrelaçados. Palavras-chave: Seleção cultural, contingências comportamentais entrelaçadas, esquemas de reforço, operante livre.

Avaliando a interação de instruções e comportamento supersticioso em esquemas concorrentes

  The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the interaction between instructions and “superstitious” behavior in an Ext component of a conc VI Ext schedule. Participants, high-school students, received correct or incorrect instructions at the beginning of the sessions. Correct instructions consisted of telling the participants that they should respond to only one component of the schedule; incorrect instructions consisted of telling the participants to respond to both components of the schedule. After and before the sessions, participants received questions that asked what they would need to do during sessions. Four of the seven participants responded both in Ext and in VI components of concurrent schedule at last in one session. Analysis of frequencies of responses in Ext components showed that three of these four participants responded during the whole session. Superstitious behavior (responding in Ext component) depended on variability generated by instructions or by non-verbal contingencies at the beginning of the sessions.   Keywords: superstitious behavior; instruction; concurrent schedules.  O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a interação entre instruções e comportamento supersticioso em um componente Ext de um esquema conc VI Ext. Participantes, estudantes do ensino médio, receberam instruções corretas ou incorretas antes das sessões. Nas instruções corretas, os participantes eram informados que deveriam responder a apenas um dos componentes do esquema concorrente; nas incorretas, que deveriam responder aos dois componentes. Antes e depois das sessões eram feitas perguntas sobre o que os participantes deveriam fazer durante as sessões. Quatro dos sete participantes responderam nos componentes Ext e VI por pelo menos uma sessão. Análise das frequências mostrou que três desses quatro participantes responderam em Ext durante toda a sessão. O responder supersticioso (responder consistente em Ext) dependeu do quanto as instruções ou as contingências não verbais geraram variabilidade no responder no início das sessões.Palavras-chave: comportamento supersticioso; instruções; esquemas concorrentes.

Affection and social behavior in teaching planning: the role of the consequences of behavior

Nosso objetivo neste ensaio é refletir sobre a necessidade de uma visão integrada do desenvolvimento da cognição e do afeto para o planejamento acadêmico. O estudante a todo tempo manipula e transforma o ambiente ao seu redor. Relações sociais que se desenvolvem nesse contexto envolvem unidades comportamentais entrelaçadas em que indivíduos ora atuam sobre o ambiente, transformando-o, ora funcionam como aspectos críticos do ambiente em que outros atuam. Este texto aponta a necessidade de identificar relações entre o sujeito que se comporta e seu ambiente social. Um recurso prático para lidar com questões do campo do afeto e da cognição no ensino envolve identificar e lidar com as consequências sociais do comportamento. Críticas da noção de reforço para a análise do comportamento humano são debatidas levando em conta a necessidade de explorar melhor a complexidade do comportamento humano em contextos sociais.Nuestro objetivo en este trabajo es reflexionar sobre la necesidad de una visión integrada del desarrollo de la cognición y del afecto para la planificación académica. El estudiante a todo momento manipula y transforma su entorno. Las relaciones sociales que se desarrollan en ese contexto implican unidades comportamentales entrelazadas, en que individuos ora actúan sobre el entorno, transformándolo, ora funcionan como aspectos críticos del ambiente en que otros actúan. Con base en estas consideraciones, este texto señala la necesidad de identificar las relaciones entre el sujeto que se comporta y su entorno social. Un recurso práctico para hacer frente a las cuestiones del campo del afecto y de la cognición en la enseñanza implica identificar y hacer frente a las consecuencias sociales del comportamiento. Se discuten críticas de noción refuerzo para el análisis del comportamiento humano, teniendo en cuenta la necesidad de explorar mejor la complejidad del comportamiento humano en contextos sociales.Notre objectif dans cet article est de réfléchir sur la nécessité d’une vision intégrée du développement de la cognition et de l‘affection à la planification académique. Pour cela, en particulier, nous avons exploré le rôle des conséquences sur le comportement des élèves. L‘étude du rôle des conséquences du comportement est l‘un de l‘analyse du comportement des contributions à la psychologie. Dans cette étude, nous cherchons également à articuler cette contribution avec d’autres contributions, principalement de la psychologie du développement. La question principale à cette approche intégrée est de regarder l’élève comme un être actif, que chaque fois manipule et transforme l‘environnement qui est autour de lui. Les relations sociales qui se développent dans ce contexte concernent des appareils de comportement qui sont entrelacés dans les individus parfois en agissant sur l‘environnement, la en transformant, parfois en servant comme aspects critiques de l’environnement dans lequel d’autres agissent. Compte tenu ces considérations, le texte souligne la nécessité d’identifier les relations entre les personnes qui se comportent et leur environnement social, en particulier ceux qui peuvent être décrit par la notion de renforcement social positif. En ce sens, les relations sociales doivent être planifiées sur la base des contributions des études montrant le rôle des conséquences du comportement humain, en particulier le comportement social. En conséquence, il est souligné dans le texte qu‘une ressource pratique pour traiter des questions de champ de l‘affection et de la connaissance dans l’enseignement consistera à identifier et faire face aux conséquences sociales de comportement des gens. Critiques de notion de renforcement essentielle pour l’analyse du comportement humain sont opposés à une notion qui nécessite de traitement des effets des conséquences, en rendant compte la complexité du comportement humain dans un contexte social.Our goal in this paper is to reflect on the need for an integrated view of development of cognition and affection for academic planning. We explored, in particular, the role of consequences of student behavior, which is one of the major contributions to psychology from behavior analysis. The key issue for this integrated approach is to look at the student as an active subject, one that manipulates and transforms the surrounding environment at all times. The social relationships that are developed in this context involve interwoven behavioral units. Sometimes, individuals act over the environment, transforming it; sometimes they serve as critical aspects of the environment in which others act. Based on these considerations, this article points to the need of identifying relationships between individuals and their social environment, especially those relationships which can be described using the notion of positive social reinforcement (adding something). In this sense, social relationships should be planned based on the contributions from studies showing the role of the consequences of human behavior, especially social behavior. As a result, the text points out that the practical tool to deal with issues related to affection and cognition in teaching involves identifying and dealing with the social consequences of people’s behavior. Criticism to the concept of reinforcement for the analysis of human behavior are opposed to the notion that requires dealing with the effects of the consequences, taking into account the complexity of human behavior in social contexts

55 Conceptual and Experimental Directions for Analyzing Superstition Conceptual and Experimental Directions for Analyzing Superstition in the Behavioral Analysis of Culture Direcciones Conceptuales y Experimentales para el Análisis de la Superstición en e

Abstract This paper examines the notions of illusions and beliefs, discussing some advantages offered by the study of these phenomena based on the concepts of superstitious behavior, superstition and superstitious rules. Among these advantages, the study highlights the possibility of researching these relationships in different levels of analysis, not only at the individual level, focusing on cultural level, this paper presents Cultural Materialism as an anthropological proposal for the consideration of these phenomena on the cultural level and based on adaptive principles, besides it discusses the experimental analysis of cultural practices and points out how they can help to understand how people in groups behave such as they are being effective in the control of the surrounding environment (when, sometimes, in fact, they are not). The paper offers an integrative proposal which makes easier behavior analysts' dialogue with social psychologists and offers some routes from cultural analysis of illusions and beliefs. Keywords: beliefs, illusions, superstition, Behavioral Analysis of Culture. Resumen Este trabajo examina las nociones de ilusiones y creencias, discutiendo algunas ventajas que ofrece estudiar tales fenómenos basándose en los conceptos de conducta supersticiosa, superstición y reglas supersticiosas. El trabajo pone de relieve la posibilidad de investigar estas nociones en diferentes niveles de análisis, no sólo a nivel individual, centrándose en el nivel cultural; por otra parte, se presenta el Materialismo Cultural como una propuesta antropológica basada en principios adaptativos, la cual se adecua para tratar estos fenómenos en este nivel, además, discute el Análisis Experimental de las prácticas culturales y señala cómo estos análisis pueden ayudar a entender cómo la gente, en grupo, se comporta como si tuvieran control de su ambiente (cuando, a veces, de hecho, no lo tienen). Este trabajo ofrece una propuesta integradora que facilita el diálogo entre analistas de la conducta y psicólogos sociales y ofrece algunas rutas para un análisis cultural de las ilusiones y las creencias. -clave: creencias, ilusiones, superstición, Análisis Conductual de la Cultura. Palabra

Conceptual and Experimental Directions for Analyzing Superstition in the Behavioral Analysis of Culture

This paper examines the notions of illusions and beliefs, discussing some advantages offered by the study of these phenomena based on the concepts of superstitious behavior, superstition and superstitious rules. Among these advantages, the study highlights the possibility of researching these relationships in different levels of analysis, not only at the individual level, focusing on cultural level, this paper presents Cultural Materialism as an anthropological proposal for the consideration of these phenomena on the cultural level and based on adaptive principles, besides it discusses the experimental analysis of cultural practices and points out how they can help to understand how people in groups behave such as they are being effective in the control of the surrounding environment (when, sometimes, in fact, they are not). The paper offers an integrative proposal which makes easier behavior analysts� dialogue with social psychologists and offers some routes from cultural analysis of illusions and beliefs.Este trabajo examina las nociones de ilusiones y creencias, discutiendo algunas ventajas que ofrece estudiar tales fenómenos basándose en los conceptos de conducta supersticiosa, superstición y reglas supersticiosas. El trabajo pone de relieve la posibilidad de investigar estas nociones en diferentes niveles de análisis, no sólo a nivel individual, centrándose en el nivel cultural; por otra parte, se presenta el Materialismo Cultural como una propuesta antropológica basada en principios adaptativos, la cual se adecua para tratar estos fenómenos en este nivel, además, discute el Análisis Experimental de las prácticas culturales y señala cómo estos análisis pueden ayudar a entender cómo la gente, en grupo, se comporta como si tuvieran control de su ambiente (cuando, a veces, de hecho, no lo tienen). Este trabajo ofrece una propuesta integradora que facilita el diálogo entre analistas de la conducta y psicólogos sociales y ofrece algunas rutas para un análisis cultural de las ilusiones y las creencias