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Animal trainers use shaping to teach many behaviors. However, during shaping, the organism may engage in behaviors other than the target behavior or approximations to the target behavior. If the animal is engaged in other behaviors, the rate of reinforcement may decrease and the trainer may resort to what is sometimes referred to as a “desperation click.” That is, the trainer delivers one reinforcer for a behavior that is not a successive approximation to the target response. Anecdotal reports from trainers suggest that sometimes the animal continues to repeat this other behavior that received only one reinforcer, even in the absence of further reinforcement for that behavior. This study compared whether, during a one minute extinction period, participants spent more time engaged in a behavior that had been reinforced only once after a brief period of no reinforcement or in a behavior that had been reinforced multiple times. Participants, who were university students, played a tabletop game that involved touching and manipulating small objects. Five conditions were repeated twice for each participant: reinforcement for interacting with a training object alone, reinforcement for interacting with a training object with other objects present, reinforcement for interacting with a target object, one reinforcer for interacting with a third object immediately following a brief period of no reinforcement, and reinforcement for interacting with any object. Results from this study show that a desperation click situation can be reliably produced in a controlled setting. When participants received one reinforcer for interacting with a new object following a period of no reinforcement, they interacted with the new object for a longer or equal amount of time as compared to an object that had a history of reinforcement.

The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of a conflicting instruction on FR-5 performances by an ABABC design. After all four college students were consistently pressing 1-5-3 followed by sound-clips, the schedule value changed to FR-5 (A). Then they were presented with the written instruction "Press 426" (B) in addition to the previous condition. In the last condition (C), 1-5-3 responses were then scheduled for extinction in three participants and the reinforcer was changed from sound-clips to points for one participant. The results showed that unlike previous experiments, instructions did not override the scheduled contingencies. Instruction-following occurred only when there were no other contingencies (i.e., extinction of 1-5-3) or the scheduled reinforcer for FR-5 performances was weak.

The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of alternative contingencies on instruction following by an ABA design. Three college students consistently pressed keys 1-5-3 and 4-8-6 in the presence of the written instruction "Press 153" or "Press 486." During condition A, the contingencies for following and not following the instruction were the same: CON FR5 FR5 and CON FR20 FR20. During condition B, the contingencies for following and not following the instruction were different: CON FR20 FR5. For one participant, the schedule of reinforcement was then changed to FR30. The results showed that subjects followed instructions when the schedule of reinforcement was the same for instruction following and not following.

Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 20-21).

The purpose of the study was to evaluate how augmental rules placed in a workplace setting can increase staff data collection. The agencies included residential settings and day programs for adults with disabilities. The residential settings and day programs are designed to prepare adults to function and live in various settings by promoting independence in daily living, social integration, responsible decision making, and economic self-sufficiency. This study utilized a between group analysis of 25 experimental subjects and a quasi-randomized control group to evaluate the influence of augmental rules to increase data collection behaviors by staff. The results of this study showed that the inclusion of augmental rules resulted in a significant increase in staff data collection compared to the control group (p value of .001)

The present study evaluates the effects of incompatible verbal behavior when engaging in the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). The WCST is a complex task that requires participants to match stimulus cards based on self-generated rules. After a varying number of trials, the rule changes and the participant will have to self-generate a new rule. Verbal behavior, specifically joint control, is likely involved in rule-following. Seven participants took part in this study. Participants engaged in the WCST either silently or while performing a putatively incompatible behavior, counting backward from 100 to 0. Results suggest joint control might be involved as when participants engaged in the incompatible behavior their performance was affected in terms of lower accuracy and longer reaction times compared to the silent baseline.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2016-11-30T11:45:05Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Paula Grandi de Oliveira.pdf: 1671677 bytes, checksum: e87659cd1b3265b2cefb21f9ba0c11d1 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-11-30T11:45:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Paula Grandi de Oliveira.pdf: 1671677 bytes, checksum: e87659cd1b3265b2cefb21f9ba0c11d1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-09-22 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / The present research has investigated the effect of the supply of instructions or the lack of it with different formulations (1) in the obtention of a response sensitive to the schedule and (2) in the resistance to the response’s change when faced with alterations in the contingency. The participants were submitted to three experimental conditions. The study was accomplished with 15 participants and it used a reversal single subject design (ABCA). During the experimental sessions, the participants were exposed to concurrent reinforcement schedules VI VI that occurred simultaneously in two rectangles (red and blue) presented on the screen. Only one of the rectangles was active at a time and a change button allowed the alternation of the active rectangle. A click on the active rectangle gave access to mathematical operations that the participant should solve. During an evaluation session it was assured that the participants were able to solve the operations with precision. On the experimental sessions, a correct answer to the mathematical operation was followed by a point according to the reinforcement schedule VI in force on the selected rectangle. In the condition No Instruction (SI), no instruction that described how to distribute the response between alternatives was presented. In the Strategic Instruction (IE) condition, an instruction that described a strategy was provided to the participants so that they could determine the best way to distribute the response, allowing them to identify for themselves the pattern of answers that was more advantageous. In the Tactical Instruction condition, an instruction that specified an exact response pattern to be followed (IT1) or the exact pattern for the point delivery was provided to allow the participant to earn the biggest quantity of points. The participants’ behavior choice was analyzed, measured by the parameters a of the generalized matching law and the behavior variability, measured by the clicks on the change button. The experimental sessions were composed by two stages: (1) Learning Contingency (LC), in which it was possible to test the point delivery rate; (2) Test Contingency (TC), where the earned points were exchanged by a voucher. The schedules of reinforcement were subsequently reversed between the rectangles. The results indicated that the strategic instruction consistently produced a response according to the schedule in force and not resistant to change when the contingencies were altered. On the other hand, the tactical instruction didn’t produce a consistent response according to the schedule, so it wasn’t possible to investigate the presence of resistance to change when the schedules were reversed. The condition without instruction produced a response markedly indifferentiated between the two alternatives. An influence of the experimental history was verified in the performance of the different experimental conditions. Even though the participants that were first exposed to strategic instruction presented a high number of clicks on the change button, the results indicate that not only varying between alternatives but changing the response in other ways can be important in obtaining a response according to the schedule. It is discussed how the characteristics of the VI schedule, the methodology used and the formulation of the rule could have influenced the results obtained with tactical instructions / A presente pesquisa investigou o efeito do fornecimento ou não de instruções com diferentes formulações (1) na obtenção de um responder sensível ao esquema e (2) na resistência à mudança do responder frente a alterações na contingência. Os participantes foram submetidos a três condições experimentais. O estudo foi realizado com 15 participantes e utilizou um delineamento de reversão com sujeito único (ABCA). Nas sessões experimentais, os participantes eram expostos a esquemas de reforçamento concorrente VI VI que corriam simultaneamente em dois retângulos (vermelho e azul) apresentados na tela. Apenas um dos retângulo estava ativo por vez e um botão de mudança permitia alternar o retângulo ativo. Um clique no retângulo ativo dava acesso a operações matemáticas que o participante deveria resolver. Garantiu-se por meio de uma sessão de avaliação que os participantes soubessem resolver as operações com precisão. Nas sessões experimentais, uma resposta correta à operação matemática era consequenciada com um ponto de acordo com o esquema de reforçamento VI em vigor no retângulo selecionado. Na condição Sem Instrução (SI), nenhuma instrução que descresse como distribuir o responder entre as alternativas era apresentada. Na condição Instrução Estratégica (IE) era fornecida uma instrução que descrevia uma estratégia para que o participante determinasse a melhor forma de distribuir o seu responder, identificando ele próprio o padrão de respostas mais vantajoso. Na condição Instrução Tática era fornecida uma instrução que especificava um padrão de resposta exato a ser seguido (IT1) ou o padrão exato de entrega de pontos (IT2) para que o participante ganhasse a maior quantidade de pontos. Analisou-se o comportamento de escolha dos participantes, mensurado a partir do parâmetro a da lei generalizada da igualação, e a variabilidade do comportamento, mensurada a partir dos cliques no botão de mudança. As sessões experimentais eram compostas de duas etapas: (1) Contingencia de Aprendizagem (CA), na qual era possível testar as taxas de entrega de pontos; (2) Contingência de Teste (CT), em que os pontos ganhos eram trocados por um voucher. Os esquemas de reforçamento eram subsequentemente invertidos entre os retângulos. Os resultados indicaram que a instrução estratégica consistentemente produziu um responder de acordo com o esquema em vigor e não resistente à mudança quando as contingências eram alteradas. Já a instrução tática não produziu um responder consistentemente de acordo com o esquema, de forma que não foi possível investigar a presença de resistência à mudança quando os esquemas eram invertidos. A condição sem instrução produziu um responder marcadamente indiferenciado entre as duas alternativas. Verificou-se uma influência da história experimental no desempenho das diferentes condições experimentais. Apesar de os participantes primeiro expostos à instrução estratégica terem apresentado alto número de cliques no botão de mudança, os resultados indicam que, não apenas variar entre as alternativas, mas mudar o responder de outras formas, pode ser importante para obter um responder de acordo com o esquema. Discute-se como as características do esquema de intervalo variável, a metodologia utilizada e a formulação da regra podem ter influenciado nos resultados obtidos com as instruções táticas

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2017-03-24T11:46:39Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Luiza Mulin Vaz.pdf: 1857515 bytes, checksum: 90cfcee01d5a7a029b76227041d9a0a8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-24T11:46:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Luiza Mulin Vaz.pdf: 1857515 bytes, checksum: 90cfcee01d5a7a029b76227041d9a0a8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-17 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Behavioral analysts have been concerned with evaluating the effect of different learning histories over the sensitivity to the change of contingencies. The present research has investigated the effect of three variables over the sensitivity to the change of contingencies: (1) learning histories, by rules or contingencies; (2) the degree of instructional specificity (general instruction and specific instruction); and (3) maintenance or change of the instruction between phases. Twenty participants were assigned to one of five experimental groups, that were different by the acquirement of repertoire in Phase 1: two groups were exposure to general instruction; other two groups were exposure to specific instruction and one group were exposure to learning by contingencies (minimum instruction). In Phase 2, block 1, the same type of instruction was maintained for three groups; for the other two groups, the instruction was shifted to a minimum instruction. In Phase 2, block 2, the reinforcement contingency was modified without any previous warning. In both phases, a first order matching-to-sample task procedure was programmed in the computer. In Phase 1, was reinforced to choose one of the comparison stimuli that shared the property “equal in shape or in color” with the sample stimulus. This phase contained three sessions, of 36 trials each. Phase 2 contained three sessions, each divided into two blocks. Block 1 corresponded to the first 10 trials and Block 2 corresponded to the following 26 trials. In each block, a contingency would take effect. In blocks 1, there was instruction presentation and the contingency in effect was the same one of the Phase 1 (correct relation was the property: “equal in shape or in color”). In blocks 2, there was no instruction presentation and was reinforced to choose one of the comparison stimuli that did not shared any property with the sample stimulus. This change of contingencies occurred without previous warning. The results showed that the group exposed to learning by contingencies and one of the groups exposed to general instruction showed the most sensitivity when the contingencies were shifted. While one of the groups exposed to specific instruction showed insensitivity when the contingencies were shifted. This result indicates that learning histories by contingencies and by general instruction promotes the sensitivity to the change of contingencies. In the other hand, the learning history by specific instruction produces less sensitivity to the change of contingencies. In general, the groups that were exposed to minimal instruction in Phase 2 (blocks 1) showed more sensitivity to the change of contingencies when compared to the groups that were exposed to general or specific instruction between the two phases / Analistas do comportamento têm se preocupado em avaliar o efeito de diferentes histórias de aprendizagem sobre a sensibilidade a mudanças nas contingências. A presente pesquisa teve o objetivo de investigar o efeito de algumas variáveis na sensibilidade à mudança nas contingências, sendo elas: (1) histórias de aprendizagem, por regras ou por contingências; (2) histórias de aprendizagem por regras mais ou menos específicas (instrução geral e instrução específica); e (3) manutenção ou mudança no tipo de instrução apresentada nas diferentes fases. Vinte participantes foram alocados em cinco grupos experimentais, definidos de acordo com a forma de aquisição do repertório na Fase 1: aprendizagem por instrução geral (dois grupos); aprendizagem por instrução específica (dois grupos); e aprendizagem por contingências – instrução mínima (um grupo). Na Fase 2, bloco 1, o mesmo tipo de instrução foi mantido para três grupos; para os outros dois grupos, a instrução foi alterada para mínima. Na Fase 2, bloco 2, ocorreu mudança não-sinalizada das contingências. Nas duas fases, a tarefa consistiu em um procedimento de escolha de acordo com o modelo e foi realizada no computador. Na Fase 1, era reforçada a resposta de clicar sobre o estímulo comparação igual ou em forma ou em cor ao estímulo modelo. Essa fase conteve três sessões, de 36 tentativas cada. A Fase 2 conteve três sessões, cada uma dividida em dois blocos. O bloco 1 correspondia às primeiras 10 tentativas e o Bloco 2 correspondia às 26 tentativas seguintes. Em cada bloco, uma contingência entrava em vigor. Nos blocos 1, havia apresentação de instrução e era reforçada a resposta de clicar sobre o estímulo comparação igual em forma ou em cor ao estímulo modelo. Nos blocos 2, não havia instrução e era reforçada a resposta de clicar sobre o estímulo comparação diferente do estímulo modelo. Essa mudança de contingência foi realizada sem qualquer sinalização. Os resultados mostraram que o grupo em que a aquisição do repertório se deu pelas contingências e um dos grupos em que a aquisição de deu por instrução geral foram os que ficaram mais sensíveis à mudança nas contingências, enquanto um dos grupos em que a aquisição do repertório se deu por instrução específica apresentou insensibilidade à mudança nas contingências. Esse resultado indica que, quando há mudança nas contingências, histórias de aprendizagem por contingências e por instrução geral favorecem a mudança no responder; já a aprendizagem por instrução específica torna o responder pouco sensível a mudança. Em geral, os grupos que receberam instrução mínima na Fase 2 (blocos 1) mostraram-se mais sensíveis à mudança nas contingências, quando comparados aos grupos que receberam instrução geral ou específica nas duas fases

Submitted by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-03-06T14:20:31Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Mariana Pirkel Tsukahara - 2016.pdf: 3541752 bytes, checksum: a2f2b1c4749568b72697ab671265221f (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-03-06T14:20:51Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Mariana Pirkel Tsukahara - 2016.pdf: 3541752 bytes, checksum: a2f2b1c4749568b72697ab671265221f (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-06T14:20:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Mariana Pirkel Tsukahara - 2016.pdf: 3541752 bytes, checksum: a2f2b1c4749568b72697ab671265221f (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-11-16 / The rules have an important role in functional analysis of organizations and are essential elements in maintaining desirable management practices and necessary for the survival and maintenance of the group as a whole. This study specifically aims to understand how external rules (external environmental stimuli) will influence the development of key internal rules for the operation of a federal organization of public education regarding the management practices of human resources. Aiming that , the usual routine documents were identified and categorized, concerning management practices in the human resources sector: a) External documents: Laws, Rules, Resolutions, Decrees issued by the government; b) Internal documents: documents produced by the body itself, such as statute, regulation, resolution Ordinance, Normative Instructions, Minutes of Supreme Councils. internal documents were obtained in a range of approximately 15 years, involving 5 organizational units. After categorization and analysis of contingencies extracted from the documents, it was found in the study that , there was an evolution of the rule of categories over time, especially in the extracted internal documents and that there is an association between the acts and internal documents before and after 2008, indicating that a substantial part of the internal rules are precurrents behavior of the Minutes. It was obtained, even a medium to high association, indicating that external rules explain much of the rise of internal rules. It is inferred, therefore, that the organizational phenomena, despite, management practices, absorb a conceptual analysis involving rule-governed behavior, being able to deduce that the rules develop an essential role in organizations, having the ability to influence behavior . / As regras têm um papel preponderante na análise funcional das organizaçãoes e são elementos essenciais na manutenção de práticas gestoras desejáveis e necessárias para a sobrevivência e manutenção do grupo como um todo. Esse estudo, especificamente, propõe-se a entender como regras externas (estímulos ambientais externos) irão influenciar o desenvolvimento de regras internas essenciais para o funcionamento de uma organização federal de ensino público, no que tange as práticas gestoras de recursos humanos.Para isso, foram identificados e categorizados os documentos da rotina usual relativo às práticas gestoras no setor de recursos humanos em: a) Documentos externos: Leis, Normas, Resoluções, Decretos, emitida pelo governo; b) Documentos internos: documentos elaborados pelo próprio órgão, tais como Estatuto, Regulamento, Resolução, Portaria, Instruções Normativas, Ata dos Conselhos Superiores. Foram obtidos documentos internos num intervalo de aproximadamente 15 anos, envolvendo 5 unidades organizacionais. Após categorização e análise das contingências extraídas dos documentos, verificou-se, no estudo, que houve uma evolução das categorias de regra ao longo do tempo, sobretudo nas extraídas de documentos internos e que há uma associação entre as atas e os documentos internos, antes e após o ano de 2008, indicando que parte considerável das regras internas são comportamentos precorrentes das atas. Obteve-se, ainda, uma associação média a alta, indicando que as regras externas explicam boa parte do surgimento das regras internas. Infere-se, assim, que os fenômenos organizacionais, em que pese, as práticas gestoras, absorvem uma análise conceitual envolvendo o comportamento governado por regras, podendo-se deduzir que as regras desenvolvem um papel essencial nas organizações, tendo a capacidade de influenciar comportamentos.