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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.

Há debates sobre quais são os mecanismos responsáveis por mudanças ocorridas em psicoterapias. Pergunta-se se são as técnicas específicas ou as variáveis da relação terapêutica que propiciam os efeitos da terapia. Também tem sido questionado se mudanças comportamentais produzidas pela terapia são modeladas por contingências da relação terapêutica ou são governadas por novas regras produzidas na terapia. Nas pesquisas sobre emissão de regras (orientação) e autorregras (auto-orientação) anteriores a esta pesquisa não foram encontradas variáveis responsáveis por sua emissão. A determinação da utilização da estratégia de orientação ora parecia ser o cliente, ora o terapeuta, ora nenhum deles, ora o tema abordado, e possivelmente uma complexa combinação destas e de outras variáveis. O estudo detalhado das orientações e auto-orientações de 81 sessões de terapia analítico-comportamental foi realizado nesta pesquisa com o objetivo de verificar quais as variáveis responsáveis pela emissão de orientação e auto-orientação em intervenções clínicas comportamentais. Os resultados indicaram que a maioria dos terapeutas emitiu de 40 a 60 orientações nas nove sessões analisadas. Os clientes dos terapeutas independente da experiência apresentaram poucas auto-orientações. O número de orientações diminuiu para menos da metade quando se contaram apenas orientações com conteúdos e funções diferentes, indicando que os terapeutas tendem a \'repetir\' funcionalmente a orientação. Para as auto-orientações houve diminuição de um quarto ao se contarem aquelas com conteúdo e função diferente. O conjunto de terapeutas emitiu mais orientações para ação específica e genérica; e de forma similar os clientes estes terapeutas emitiram mais auto- orientações para ação específica e auto-orientações para ação genérica. Episódios de orientação/auto-orientação foram identificados nas 81 sessões, ocupando em média um terço das sessões dos terapeutas experientes e um quarto das sessões dos terapeutas pouco experientes. E nesses episódios havia diversos tipos de intervenção do terapeuta além da orientação. Orientações são emitidas de modo geral no seguinte contexto: clientes relatam uma situação vivenciada e algumas intervenções do terapeuta ocorrem. Quando clientes mostram dificuldade em assumir responsabilidade, enfrentar e avaliar seus comportamentos há fornecimento de regras pelo terapeuta. Os clientes na maioria das vezes concordam com as orientações recebidas, em um quarto das ocasiões se opõem a ela e em um sexto recebem novas orientações. Dois terços das auto-orientações foram seguidos de aprovação do terapeuta, mas ocorreram também reprovações. As variáveis intervenientes \"temas\", \"motivação\" e \"escolaridade\" foram consideradas e correlacionadas: existe pouca relação entre tema abordado e presença de orientação/auto-orientação; clientes motivados receberam mais orientações que os desmotivados e resistentes; quanto maior a escolaridade do cliente maior o número de auto-orientações. 10% da amostra foram avaliados por um juiz, com índices de concordância juiz-pesquisador satisfatórios indicando validade externa. Futuras pesquisas devem ser realizadas para correlacionar o uso de regras e os resultados das intervenções clínicas comportamentais. / Mechanisms responsible for changes that occur in psychotherapy are subject to debate. The question is whether specific techniques or variables of the therapeutic relationship promote the effects of the therapy. Another question is whether behavioral changesproduced by therapy are shaped by contingencies of the therapeutic relationship or ifthey are governed by new rules produced in therapy. In researches about emission of rules (orientation) and self emitted rules (self-orientation) prior to this research, novariables responsible for their emission were found. The use of the orientation strategy seemed to be determined either by the client, or by the therapist, sometimes by neither, and at times by the theme, and possibly by a complex combination of these and other variables. A detailed study of orientations and self-orientations in 81 sessions of behavior analytic therapy was carried out in this research to ascertain which variables were responsible for the emission of orientation and self-orientation in behavioralclinical interventions. The findings indicated that each therapist issued an average of 40to 60 orientations during their nine sessions. The clients of both experienced and inexperienced therapists presented few self-orientations. The number of orientationsdecreased to less than half when only rules with different contents and functions were counted, indicating that therapists tend to functionally \'repeat\' the rule. The self-orientations decreased one quarter when those with different content and function were considered. The group of therapists issued more orientations for specific and generic action; similarly, the clients of these therapists issued more self-orientations for specific and generic action. Episodes of orientation/self-orientation were identified in the 81 sessions, occupying an average of one third of the sessions of experienced therapists, and one quarter of the sessions of inexperienced therapists. These episodes involved several types of intervention by the therapist besides orientation. Orientations were generally issued within the following context: clients report a situation they have experienced and the therapist makes some interventions. When clients show difficulty in assuming responsibility, facing and evaluating their behavior, the therapist providesrules. Clients usually agree with the rules they receive, but on one quarter of occasions they oppose them and, and in one sixth of occasions they receive new orientations. Two thirds of self-orientations were approved by the therapist, but there were alsodisapprovals. There was little correlation between the theme and the presence of orientation/self-orientation. Motivated clients received more orientation than unmotivated and resistant clients; the higher the client\'s level of education the greaterthe number of self-orientation. Ten percent of the sessions were evaluated by a judge, with satisfactory indices of judge-researcher agreement indicating external validity. Future researches should be conducted to correlate the use of rules and the results of behavioral clinical interventions.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T13:18:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ana Carolina Vieira Fonai.pdf: 1458154 bytes, checksum: 3d11674ba4de8539b24a871712600574 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-04-24 / The present study aimed at evaluating the effects on behavior variability of manipulating antecedent irrelevant conditions of verbally governed behavior. 19 college students aged 17 to 27 years were recruited. Students worked on a computer task. On each trial 3 windows with the same different shapes moved for 3 seconds. If the shapes were the same on the 3 windows when they stopped points were delivered. This outcome was determined by the rate of the participant s clicking of the mouse on a button on the screen. Participants were assigned to a high rate group (10 or more responses on each trial) or to a low rate group (1 to 3 responses on each trial) on Condition I. A correspondent instruction describing the rate as the reinforcement criterion was present for all participants on this condition. On Condition II the contingency of reinforcement was reversed for all participants and participants were further assigned to 3 new subgroups according to the instructions on the screen: (a) the instruction present on the previous condition was maintained, (b) there was no instruction, (c) a new instruction (Discover how to win).was shown on the screen. Another group of participants was not submitted to Condition III. On Condition III there were no changes on the contingencies of reinforcement, instructions were absent, and other irrelevant elements of the screen (screen color, shapes on the windows, and windows positions) were changed. Results showed that 14 (out of 19) participants did no respond according to the instructions at the onset of Condition I, nevertheless 16 participants were systematically responding according to the contingencies (and instructions) at the end of the condition. 14 participants were submitted to Condition II: 12 of them did not produce reinforcement at the beginning of the condition, but at the end of the condition 5 of them were consistently behaving according to the contingencies and 7 were not. At the onset of Condition III there was variability on the latency and/or rate of responding of all 18 participants, and for 5 of the 12 participants whose behavior was not under contingency control on Condition II such variation was enough to promote the selection of a new response pattern that met the contingency. The initial schedule of reinforcement (of low or high response rate) was highly correlated with participants performances when (and thereafter) contingencies changed: Only 1 of the 9 participants of the high rate group on Condition I was not responding in accordance with the contingency at the end of the experiment, but 6 of the participants of the low rate group on Condition I were still not being systematically reinforced at the end of the study / Com o presente estudo pretendeu-se avaliar se manipular condições antecedentes que seriam facilitadoras de variabilidade comportamental de comportamento supostamente sob controle verbal promoveria rapidamente mudanças no comportamento quando mudassem as contingências de reforçamento. Participaram do estudo 19 estudantes entre 17 e 27 anos que trabalharam em um jogo de computador similar a um caça-níqueis, no qual deveriam clicar com o mouse em um botão na tela enquanto janelas com figuras giravam por 3 segundos. Ao final do período as janelas paravam e a taxa de clicar gerava ou não figuras iguais nas janelas e pontos. Na Fase 1 os participantes foram distribuídos em 2 grupos: de alta taxa (10 ou mais respostas necessárias para atribuição de pontos) e de baixa taxa, (1 a 3 respostas). Na Fase 1 havia na tela um instrução sobre a resposta de clicar para todos os participantes que era coerente com a contingência de reforçamento. Na Fase 2 as contingências de reforçamento foram invertidas para todos os participantes, que foram subdivididos em 3 novos subgrupos de acordo com as instruções: (a) a instrução anterior permaneceu; (b) foi apresentada nova instrução: Tente descobrir agora como ganhar ; (c) a instrução foi removida. Um outro grupo foi para a Fase 3. Na Fase 3 as contingências de reforçamento da Fase 2 foram mantidas, as instruções (quando existiam) foram retiradas e aspectos da tela irrelevantes com relação às contingências de reforço (cor do fundo, figuras e posição das janelas) foram modificadas. Os resultados indicaram que 14 dos 19 participantes não se comportaram de maneira coerente com a instrução no início da Fase 1, porém 16 participantes terminaram a fase sistematicamente recebendo reforço. 12 dos 14 participantes que fizeram a Fase 2, a iniciaram sem receber reforço; ao final todos os participantes que receberam instruções incoerentes não recebiam reforço. Na Fase 3, todos os 18 participantes apresentaram variabilidade comportamental com a introdução da fase, na taxa e/ou na latência das respostas. Dos 12 participantes que não ficaram sob controle da nova contingência durante a Fase 2, 5 variaram seu responder de modo que padrões de comportamento de acordo com as contingências foram selecionados na Fase 3. Os esquemas de reforçamento iniciais (de alta ou baixa taxa) estão correlacionados com diferenças significativas nos desempenhos; apenas 1 participante dos 9 que iniciaram o estudo no grupo taxa alta não ficou sob controle da nova contingência até o final do experimento, enquanto que 6 participantes dentre os 10 que iniciaram o estudo no grupo taxa baixa tiveram o mesmo resultado

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