Effects of a continuous history of reinforcement and social consequences on rule following / Efeitos de uma história de reforço contínuo e de conseqüências sociais sobre o seguir regras

Abstract

In order to investigate the effects of variables involved in rule following, 18 children were exposed to a matching-to-sample procedure. Each child touched one of two comparison stimuli in the presence of a contextual stimulus. Correct responses were reinforced with tokens. Phase 1 began with minimal instruction, Phase 2 with a contingency-correspondent rule, and Phases 3 and 4 with a change in the contingencies. The three experimental conditions differed in Phases 1 and 3. In Phase 1 of Condition 1, no response was reinforced, and in Phase 1 of Conditions 2 and 3, there was differential reinforcement of the correct responses. In Phase 3 of the three conditions, the maintenance of rule following was not rewarded with tokens; instead praise was delivered in Condition 3. Rule following was maintained in Conditions 1 and 3, but left out in Condition 2. Some explanations are provided for the maintenance of rule following behavior.

Keywords

• Control by rules
• control by reinforcement history
• control by social consequences
• matching-to sample
• children