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Paranczak JL, Lambert JM, Ledford JR, Copeland BA, Macdonald MJ. Deriving relations at multiple levels of complexity following minimal instruction: A demonstration. J Appl Behav Anal 2024; 57:408-425. [PMID: 38436116 DOI: 10.1002/jaba.1067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Recommendations for achieving generalized instructional outcomes often overlook the capacity for generative learning for most verbally competent humans. Four children (ages 5-8) participated in this project. In Study 1, we provided decontextualized discrete trial teaching to establish arbitrary relations between colors, pictures of characters, and researcher motor actions. All participants engaged in derivative responding, providing evidence of relational framing. Subsequently, we demonstrated that, with no additional instruction, these derivatives contributed to effective action within a socially valid context (i.e., Candyland gameplay). Study 2 extended the demonstration by teaching frames of opposition. Following teaching, all participants engaged in novel and contextually appropriate responding that entailed the derivation of both coordination and opposition between untrained stimuli. This outcome demonstrates how teaching simple relations can result in learning that manifests at higher levels of complexity (i.e., relational networking), providing some evidence that there can be socially valid benefits to decontextualized discrete trial instruction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joseph M Lambert
- Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jennifer R Ledford
- Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Bailey A Copeland
- Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - M Janey Macdonald
- Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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2
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Lerman DC. Putting the power of behavior analysis in the hands of nonbehavioral professionals: Toward a blueprint for dissemination †. J Appl Behav Anal 2024; 57:39-54. [PMID: 37937462 DOI: 10.1002/jaba.1036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Behavior analysts have much to offer nonbehavioral professionals who work with the communities that we serve. Successful dissemination of behavior-analytic technologies to these professionals could potentially improve their practice. Although the literature contains some exemplary examples of successful dissemination, our discipline would benefit from a blueprint for conducting this important work. In this article, I share our experiences disseminating behavioral technologies to educators, law enforcement officers, and health care providers who engage with neurodiverse individuals. These experiences form the basis of a recommended blueprint for dissemination, which awaits empirical support. After describing this tentative blueprint, I provide suggestions for future research on how best to disseminate our technologies to nonbehavioral professionals, the ideal content of those dissemination activities, and the conditions under which professionals may be more likely to embed our technologies into their best practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothea C Lerman
- University of Houston, Clear Lake, Department of Clinical, Health, and Applied Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
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3
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Pérez-González LA, Martínez H, Palomino M. Emergence of a three-sample conditional discrimination as foundation for reasoning capabilities. J Exp Anal Behav 2023; 120:376-393. [PMID: 37727992 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
We hypothesized that a three-sample conditional discrimination can emerge as a result of learning conditional discriminations with relational stimuli. After learning three first-order conditional discriminations AB, PQ, and CD, we taught a second-order conditional discrimination XAB in which X1 indicated selection of related stimuli (e.g., A1 and B1) and X2 of unrelated stimuli (e.g., A1 and B2). Then, we probed the emergence of conditional discriminations PQX and XCD in which the X stimuli were comparisons and contextual stimuli, respectively. Finally, a conditional discrimination was probed with stimuli P, Q, and C as samples and D1 and D2 as comparisons. When the P and Q stimuli were related (and related to X1 in PQX), all participants selected the D stimulus that was related to the C stimulus (D1 when C1 was present and D2 when C2 was present); when the P and Q stimuli were unrelated (and related to X2 in PQX), they selected the D stimulus unrelated to the C stimulus (D2 when C1 and D1 when C2), which demonstrated emergence based on the relations established among all stimuli. In Experiment 2, the teaching of XAB was omitted and only one in six participants demonstrated emergence, which indicated that relational stimuli X1 and X2 played an important role in emergence. Thus, a new type of emergence that mimics analogical reasoning was demonstrated. The obtained outcome suggests that this procedure provides a learning foundation for acquiring reasoning capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Héctor Martínez
- Instituto de Neurociencias, University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara, México
| | - Marlon Palomino
- Instituto de Neurociencias, University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara, México
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4
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Alonso-Vega J, Froxán-Parga MX, Arntzen E. Equivalence Class Formation in Adults with Severe Behavioral Problems. PSYCHOLOGICAL RECORD 2023; 73:1-13. [PMID: 37363039 PMCID: PMC10096106 DOI: 10.1007/s40732-023-00540-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Stimulus equivalence is a behavioral phenomenon that has been related to complex human behavior (e.g., remembering, cognitive functioning, and symbolic behavior). As a rule, people diagnosed with severe mental disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) that exhibit delusional and hallucinatory behavior, and disorganized speech have shown cognitive impairment (e.g., processing speed, reasoning/problem solving). Not enough research has analyzed the stimulus equivalence performance in this population. This study aims to investigate the stimulus equivalence performance in adults diagnosed with severe mental disorders. In particular, this study analyzes the many-to-one (MTO) and one-to-many (OTM) training structures effects, and the simultaneous (SIM) and the simple-to-complex (STC) training and testing protocol effects on equivalence class formation in this population. To achieve it, we analyzed the behavior of 18 participants diagnosed with severe mental disorders in three different conditions (Condition 1 OTM/SIM; 2 MTO/SIM; and 3 MTO/STC). Behavior consistent with stimulus equivalence was found in 11 out of 13 participants who had finished the study (5 participants decided to leave before completing the tasks). STC yielded better results than the SIM protocol. No differences were found between MTO and OTM training structures. Implications and suggestions for further research have been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Alonso-Vega
- Psychology Department, Faculty of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odon, Spain
- Present Address: Department of Biological and Health Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Xesús Froxán-Parga
- Present Address: Department of Biological and Health Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Erik Arntzen
- Department of Behavioral Science, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway
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5
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Carrillo A, Betancort M. Differences of Training Structures on Stimulus Class Formation in Computational Agents. MULTIMODAL TECHNOLOGIES AND INTERACTION 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/mti7040039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Stimulus Equivalence (SE) is a behavioural phenomenon in which organisms respond functionally to stimuli without explicit training. SE provides a framework in the experimental analysis of behaviour to study language, symbolic behaviour, and cognition. It is also a frequently discussed matter in interdisciplinary research, linking behaviour analysis with linguistics and neuroscience. Previous research has attempted to replicate SE with computational agents, mostly based on Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models. The aim of this paper was to analyse the effect of three Training Structures (TSs) on stimulus class formation in a simulation with ANNs as computational agents performing a classification task, in a matching-to-sample procedure. Twelve simulations were carried out as a product of the implementation of four ANN architectures on the three TSs. SE was not achieved, but two agents showed an emergent response on half of the transitivity test pairs on linear sequence TSs and reflexivity on one member of the class. The results suggested that an ANN with a large enough number of units in a hidden layer can perform a limited number of emergent relations within specific experimental conditions: reflexivity on B and transitivity on AC, when pairs AB and BC are trained on a three-member stimulus class and tested in a classification task. Reinforcement learning is proposed as the framework for further simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Carrillo
- Departamento de Psicología Clínica, Psicobiología y Metodología, Campus de Guajara, Universidad de La Laguna, Apartado 456, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Moisés Betancort
- Departamento de Psicología Clínica, Psicobiología y Metodología, Campus de Guajara, Universidad de La Laguna, Apartado 456, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
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6
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Constructing Global Climate Justice: The Challenging Role of Behavior Science. BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL ISSUES 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s42822-022-00119-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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7
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Jimenez‐Gomez C, Pichardo J, Ryan V. Instructive feedback to expand listener skills in a second language in children with autism spectrum disorder. BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/bin.1843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jessebelle Pichardo
- The Scott Center for Autism Treatment Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne Florida USA
| | - Victoria Ryan
- The Scott Center for Autism Treatment Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne Florida USA
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8
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Hanson RJ, Miguel CF. The establishment of auditory equivalence classes with a go/no-go successive matching-to-sample procedure. J Exp Anal Behav 2021; 116:44-63. [PMID: 33955545 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The go/no-go successive matching-to-sample (S-MTS) procedure involves the presentation of a sample followed by one comparison in the same location. Participants are required to either touch (go) or refrain from touching (no-go) related and unrelated comparisons, respectively. One advantage of S-MTS is that both sample and comparisons can be auditory. Thus, the purpose of Experiment 1 was to establish three 3-member auditory equivalence classes using familiar dictated words. After training AB and AC relations, 16 out of 16 participants met emergence criterion for symmetry (BA/CA), 12 out of 16 for transitivity/equivalence (BC/CB), and 9 out of 16 for intraverbals, for which testing involved vocalizing relations among auditory stimuli. The purpose of Experiment 2 was to assess the potential influence of stimulus topography on equivalence class formation and the emergence of intraverbal behavior. After training AB and AC relations with unfamiliar stimuli, 16 out of 16 participants met emergence criterion for symmetry (BA/CA), 13 out of 16 for transitivity/equivalence (BC/CB), and 8 out of 16 for intraverbals. Results suggest that the S-MTS procedure may serve as an alternative to simultaneous MTS in the development of auditory equivalence classes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Caio F Miguel
- Institute for Applied Behavioral Science, Endicott College
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Sacramento
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9
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Iversen IH. Sidman or statistics? J Exp Anal Behav 2020; 115:102-114. [PMID: 33330993 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Murray Sidman's statements regarding variability, experimental control, and generality are interwoven with examples from the literature on conditional discrimination. Sidman's position was that statistical inferences from group studies produce no information about the behavior of individual subjects and that statistical treatment of individual subject data masks variability which may represent conditions that are not controlled. Sidman's work on conditional discrimination provides excellent examples of how complex discriminations should be examined in detail with accuracy levels obtained for each type of discrimination within an experiment. Sidman made important contributions to the foundation of behavior analysis with extensive basic research as well as applications of methods and principles to clinical and educational settings.
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Cordeiro MC, Zhirnova T, Miguel CF. Establishing equivalence-equivalence analogical relations via tact and listener training. J Exp Anal Behav 2020; 115:340-360. [PMID: 33319373 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the role of verbal behavior on the emergence of analogy-type responding as measured via equivalence-equivalence relations. In Experiment 1, 8 college students learned to label arbitrary stimuli as, "vek," "zog," and "paf", and in Experiment 2, 8 additional participants learned to select these stimuli when hearing their names in an auditory-visual matching-to-sample (MTS) task. Experimenters tested for the emergence of relational tacts (i.e., "same" and "different") and equivalence-equivalence relations (analogy tests) via visual-visual MTS. Half of the participants were exposed to a think-aloud procedure. Even though they all passed analogy tests while tacting stimuli relationally, only participants exposed to tact training (Experiment 1) did so without the need for remediation. The results of these experiments confirm that individual discriminative and relational control of stimuli established through verbal behavior training is sufficient to produce equivalence-equivalence analogical responding, advancing the analysis of complex cognitive (problem-solving) phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tatiana Zhirnova
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Sacramento
| | - Caio F Miguel
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Sacramento
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11
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Zhelezoglo KN, Hanson RJ, Miguel CF, Lionello-DeNolf KM. The establishment of auditory-visual equivalence classes with a go/no-go successive matching-to-sample procedure. J Exp Anal Behav 2020; 115:421-438. [PMID: 33289134 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 10/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
The current study evaluated the effectiveness of a go/no-go successive matching-to-sample procedure (S-MTS) to establish auditory-visual equivalence classes with college students. A sample and a comparison were presented, one at a time, in the same location. During training, after an auditory stimulus was presented, a green box appeared in the center of the screen for participants to touch to produce the comparison. Touching the visual comparison that was related to the auditory sample (e.g., A1B1) produced points, while touching or refraining from touching an unrelated comparison (e.g., A1B2) produced no consequences. Following AB/AC training, participants were tested on untrained relations (i.e., BA/CA and BC/CB), as well as tacting and sorting. During BA/CA relations tests, after touching the visual sample, the auditory stimulus was presented along with a white box for participants to respond. During BC/CB relations tests, after touching the visual sample, a visual comparison appeared. Across 2 experiments, all participants met emergence criterion for untrained relations and for sorting. Additionally, 14 out of 24 participants tacted all visual stimuli correctly. Results suggest the auditory-visual S-MTS procedure is an effective alternative to simultaneous MTS for establishing conditional relations and auditory-visual equivalence classes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Caio F Miguel
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Sacramento
- Institute for Applied Behavioral Science, Endicott College
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12
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Boyle MA, Bacon MT, Carton SM, Augustine JJ, Janota TA, Curtis KS, Forck KL, Gaskill LA. Comparison of naturalistic and arbitrary discriminative stimuli during schedule thinning following functional communication training. BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/bin.1759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Megan A. Boyle
- Department of Counseling, Leadership, and Special Education Missouri State University Springfield Missouri USA
| | - McKenzie T. Bacon
- Department of Counseling, Leadership, and Special Education Missouri State University Springfield Missouri USA
| | - Samantha M. Carton
- Department of Psychology Missouri State University Springfield Missouri USA
- Arc of the Oaks Springfield Missouri USA
| | - John J. Augustine
- Department of Counseling, Leadership, and Special Education Missouri State University Springfield Missouri USA
| | - Taylor A. Janota
- Department of Counseling, Leadership, and Special Education Missouri State University Springfield Missouri USA
| | - Kaitlin S. Curtis
- Department of Counseling, Leadership, and Special Education Missouri State University Springfield Missouri USA
- Applied Behavioral Services Cincinnati Ohio USA
| | - Kara L. Forck
- Department of Counseling, Leadership, and Special Education Missouri State University Springfield Missouri USA
- Ste. Genevieve School District Ste Genevieve Missouri USA
| | - Lauren A. Gaskill
- Department of Counseling, Leadership, and Special Education Missouri State University Springfield Missouri USA
- Ozark District School Ozark Missouri USA
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13
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Law S, Hayes SC. Murray Sidman: fostering progress through foundational choices. J Exp Anal Behav 2020; 115:21-30. [PMID: 33155279 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The contributions of Murray Sidman to the field of behavior analysis have helped to put the field on a progressive path. In this paper we describe three areas as examples, drawn from the larger set of his notable contributions: the analysis of stimulus equivalence in a way that has fostered a behavior-analytic approach to derived stimulus relations and symbolic meaning; the observation and measurement of individual behavior through time; and his stance against punitive applied methods. In each of these areas Sidman was a dedicated behaviorist, avoiding appeals to mentalistic or transcendental forces, opposing hypothetical mediational accounts, and taking a functional and contextual approach. Clarity of assumptions was at the heart of Sidman's effective scientific practices and there is no reason to think that those same assumptions will not carry us further, as evidence mounts in support of these views on psychological research and practice.
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Petursdottir AI, Oliveira JSCD. Efficiency of equivalence‐based instruction: A laboratory evaluation. J Exp Anal Behav 2020; 114:87-105. [DOI: 10.1002/jeab.617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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15
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Johnson C, Iversen I, Kenyon P, Holth P, de Souza DG. Murray Sidman: A life of giving. J Appl Behav Anal 2020; 53:1290-1298. [PMID: 32399994 DOI: 10.1002/jaba.718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Murray Sidman's contributions to the science of behavior span many areas including avoidance behavior, coercion and its effects, stimulus control, errorless learning, programmed learning, stimulus equivalence, and single-subject methodology. He was also a great mentor to many and helped shape the discipline we now call behavior analysis. In this memoriam, we briefly highlight his scholarly legacy and share some personal anecdotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cammarie Johnson
- New England Center for Children and Western New England University
| | | | | | - Per Holth
- OsloMet-Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway
| | - Deisy G de Souza
- Universidade Federal de São Carlos/National Institute of Science and Technology on Behavior, Cognition and Teaching (INCT/ECCE), Brazil
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16
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Mofrad AA, Yazidi A, Hammer HL, Arntzen E. Equivalence Projective Simulation as a Framework for Modeling Formation of Stimulus Equivalence Classes. Neural Comput 2020; 32:912-968. [DOI: 10.1162/neco_a_01274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Stimulus equivalence (SE) and projective simulation (PS) study complex behavior, the former in human subjects and the latter in artificial agents. We apply the PS learning framework for modeling the formation of equivalence classes. For this purpose, we first modify the PS model to accommodate imitating the emergence of equivalence relations. Later, we formulate the SE formation through the matching-to-sample (MTS) procedure. The proposed version of PS model, called the equivalence projective simulation (EPS) model, is able to act within a varying action set and derive new relations without receiving feedback from the environment. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that the field of equivalence theory in behavior analysis has been linked to an artificial agent in a machine learning context. This model has many advantages over existing neural network models. Briefly, our EPS model is not a black box model, but rather a model with the capability of easy interpretation and flexibility for further modifications. To validate the model, some experimental results performed by prominent behavior analysts are simulated. The results confirm that the EPS model is able to reliably simulate and replicate the same behavior as real experiments in various settings, including formation of equivalence relations in typical participants, nonformation of equivalence relations in language-disabled children, and nodal effect in a linear series with nodal distance five. Moreover, through a hypothetical experiment, we discuss the possibility of applying EPS in further equivalence theory research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anis Yazidi
- Department of Computer Science, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo 0167, Norway
| | - Hugo L. Hammer
- Department of Computer Science, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo 0167, Norway
| | - Erik Arntzen
- Department of Behavioral Science, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo 0167, Norway
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17
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Bidirectional conditioning: Revisiting Asratyan’s ‘alternating’ training technique. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 171:107211. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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18
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Meyer CS, Cordeiro MC, Miguel CF. The effects of listener training on the development of analogical reasoning. J Exp Anal Behav 2019; 112:144-166. [DOI: 10.1002/jeab.549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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Mason LL, Andrews A. The Verbal Behavior Stimulus Control Ratio Equation: a Quantification of Language. Perspect Behav Sci 2019; 42:323-343. [PMID: 31976437 PMCID: PMC6701728 DOI: 10.1007/s40614-018-0141-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Language is a much sought-after yet elusive subject matter for scientific investigation. Entire fields of study have evolved to address the complexities of language, with most using a structural analysis as the framework for examination. Skinner (Verbal Behavior, 1957) proposed that language fell within the scope of a science of behavior and was therefore open to functional analysis and interpretation. Over the past 60 years, much has been done to further the scientific explanation, prediction, and control of verbal behavior as a function of environmental variables. However, we still need to more accurately describe the subject matter of investigation. The stimulus control ratio equation (SCoRE) is a metric to summarize a behavioral repertoire by comparing the relative frequency of its component parts. The verbal behavior SCoRE compares the observed proportions of responding against the null hypothesis to yield a statistic to describe the present level of functional performance. Such information may be useful for measuring change over time and comparing treatment effects within individuals and across groups. This article provides a conceptualization of the interdependence of the verbal operants identified by Skinner (1957), a model for analyzing the entirety of the verbal repertoire, and implications for research and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. L. Mason
- Department of Interdisciplinary Learning & Teaching, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 1 UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249 USA
| | - Alonzo Andrews
- Department of Interdisciplinary Learning & Teaching, The University of Texas at San Antonio, 1 UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249 USA
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FeldmanHall O, Dunsmoor JE. Viewing Adaptive Social Choice Through the Lens of Associative Learning. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2018; 14:175-196. [PMID: 30513040 DOI: 10.1177/1745691618792261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Because humans live in a dynamic and evolving social world, modeling the factors that guide social behavior has remained a challenge for psychology. In contrast, much progress has been made on understanding some of the more basic elements of human behavior, such as associative learning and memory, which has been successfully modeled in other species. Here we argue that applying an associative learning approach to social behavior can offer valuable insights into the human moral experience. We propose that the basic principles of associative learning-conserved across a range of species-can, in many situations, help to explain seemingly complex human behaviors, including altruistic, cooperative, and selfish acts. We describe examples from the social decision-making literature using Pavlovian learning phenomena (e.g., extinction, cue competition, stimulus generalization) to detail how a history of positive or negative social outcomes influences cognitive and affective mechanisms that shape moral choice. Examining how we might understand social behaviors and their likely reliance on domain-general mechanisms can help to generate testable hypotheses to further understand how social value is learned, represented, and expressed behaviorally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oriel FeldmanHall
- 1 Department of Cognitive, Linguistic & Psychological Sciences, Brown University
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21
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Monestès JL, Karekla M, Jacobs N, Michaelides MP, Hooper N, Kleen M, Ruiz FJ, Miselli G, Presti G, Luciano C, Villatte M, Bond FW, Kishita N, Hayes SC. Experiential Avoidance as a Common Psychological Process in European Cultures. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT 2018. [DOI: 10.1027/1015-5759/a000327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. Experiential avoidance, the tendency to rigidly escape or avoid private psychological experiences, represents one of the most prominent transdiagnostic psychological processes with a known role in a wide variety of psychological disorders and practical contexts. Experiential avoidance is argued to be based on a fundamental verbal/cognitive process: an overextension of verbal problem solving into the world within. Although cultures apparently differ in their patterns of emotional expression, to the extent that experiential avoidance is based on a fundamental verbal/cognitive process, measures of this process should be comparable across countries, with similar relationships to health outcomes regardless of the language community. This research tests this view in European countries. The psychometric properties of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, a measure of experiential avoidance, are compared across six languages and seven European countries, for a total of 2,170 nonclinical participants. Multiple group analysis showed that the instrument can be considered invariant across the language samples. The questionnaire constitutes a unidimensional instrument with similar relationships to psychopathology, and has good and very similar psychometric properties in each assessed country. Experiential avoidance reveals not just as transdiagnostic, but also as a transcultural process independent of a specific language community.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nele Jacobs
- Hasselt University and FARESA Evidence-Based Psychological Centre, Hasselt, Belgium
| | | | - Nic Hooper
- University of the West of England, Bristol, UK
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Lantaya CA, Miguel CF, Howland TG, LaFrance DL, Page SV. An evaluation of a visual-visual successive matching-to-sample procedure to establish equivalence classes in adults. J Exp Anal Behav 2018; 109:533-550. [DOI: 10.1002/jeab.326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Ong T, Normand MP, Schenk MJ. Using equivalence-based instruction to teach college students to identify logical fallacies. BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/bin.1512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Triton Ong
- Department of Psychology; University of the Pacific; Stockton CA USA
| | | | - Merritt J. Schenk
- Department of Psychology; University of the Pacific; Stockton CA USA
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Abstract
The Analysis of Verbal Behavior (TAVB) is the only journal focused on theoretical and empirical research in verbal behavior. An assessment of authorship trends can provide a critical perspective on practices in verbal behavior analysis (e.g., participation by non-US institutions, contributions by female authors). The present study examines authorship trends in all articles published in TAVB since its inception (between 1982 and 2016). All authors and their affiliations were listed and the first authors denoted as such. Authors were characterized as follows: prolificacy, new vs. frequent contributor status, number of co-authors, editor status, fellow status in a professional organization, and gender. Institutional affiliations were characterized as follows: academic vs. nonacademic institutions, prolificacy, and location (country). The review included 383 articles by 487 authors from 200 institutions. Our findings revealed areas in which TAVB is reaching maturity (e.g., author gender) and areas in which further action by contributors and editors is needed (e.g., international participation).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Dal Ben
- Department of Psychology, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luis, km 235, n° 676, São Carlos, SP 13565-905 Brazil
| | - Celso Goyos
- Department of Psychology, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luis, km 235, n° 676, São Carlos, SP 13565-905 Brazil
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Ming S, Stewart I. When things are not the same: A review of research into relations of difference. J Appl Behav Anal 2017; 50:429-455. [PMID: 28078688 DOI: 10.1002/jaba.367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2014] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Responding to stimuli as same and different can be considered a critical component of a variety of language and academic repertoires. Whereas responding to "sameness" and generalized identity matching (i.e., coordination) have been studied extensively, there appears to be a significant gap in behavior analytic research and educational programs with regard to nonmatching relations or relations of difference. We review research on difference relations from a variety of domains, including comparative psychology, as well as experimental, and translational behavior analysis. We examine a range of studies, including research on the perception of difference and oddity responding, as well as investigations on establishing relational frames of distinction. We present suggestions for future research and describe potential methods for teaching skills related to relations of difference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siri Ming
- National University of Ireland, Galway
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Richardson AR, Lerman DC, Nissen MA, Luck KM, Neal AE, Bao S, Tsami L. Can pictures promote the acquisition of sight-word reading? An evaluation of two potential instructional strategies. J Appl Behav Anal 2016; 50:67-86. [PMID: 27687014 DOI: 10.1002/jaba.354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Sight-word instruction can be a useful supplement to phonics-based methods under some circumstances. Nonetheless, few studies have evaluated the conditions under which pictures may be used successfully to teach sight-word reading. In this study, we extended prior research by examining two potential strategies for reducing the effects of overshadowing when using picture prompts. Five children with developmental disabilities and two typically developing children participated. In the first experiment, the therapist embedded sight words within pictures but gradually faded in the pictures as needed using a least-to-most prompting hierarchy. In the second experiment, the therapist embedded text-to-picture matching within the sight-word reading sessions. Results suggested that these strategies reduced the interference typically observed with picture prompts and enhanced performance during teaching sessions for the majority of participants. Text-to-picture matching also accelerated mastery of the sight words relative to a condition under which the therapist presented text without pictures.
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Ma ML, Miguel CF, Jennings AM. Training intraverbal naming to establish equivalence class performances. J Exp Anal Behav 2016; 105:409-26. [DOI: 10.1002/jeab.203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2015] [Accepted: 03/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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Nedelcu RI, Fields L, Arntzen E. Arbitrary conditional discriminative functions of meaningful stimuli and enhanced equivalence class formation. J Exp Anal Behav 2015; 103:349-60. [DOI: 10.1002/jeab.141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2014] [Accepted: 01/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lanny Fields
- The Graduate School of the City University of New York (CUNY)
- Queens College (CUNY)
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31
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Yamaguchi M. Questionable Use of the Mathematical Concept of Equivalence by Psychologists. PSYCHOLOGICAL THOUGHT 2014. [DOI: 10.5964/psyct.v7i2.106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychologists have applied the mathematical concept of an equivalence relation to such topics as concept formation and foundations of language. This line of research is not without controversies, and most researchers have only intuitive understanding of this mathematical concept. In this article, accessible explanations are provided on fundamental issues that have implications for empirical research.
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Delgado D, Hayes LJ. An Integrative Approach to Learning Processes: Revisiting Substitution of Functions. PSYCHOLOGICAL RECORD 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s40732-014-0071-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Hackenberg TD. What Has Happened to Skinner's Empirical Epistemology? THE BEHAVIOR ANALYST 2013; 36:277-281. [PMID: 28018039 PMCID: PMC5147443 DOI: 10.1007/bf03392314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Sidman M. Can an understanding of basic research facilitate the effectiveness of practitioners? Reflections and personal perspectives. J Appl Behav Anal 2011; 44:973-91. [PMID: 22219551 PMCID: PMC3251303 DOI: 10.1901/jaba.2011.44-973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2010] [Accepted: 03/23/2011] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
I have written before about the importance of applied behavior analysis to basic researchers. That relationship is, however, reciprocal; it is also critical for practitioners to understand and even to participate in basic research. Although applied problems are rarely the same as those investigated in the laboratory, practitioners who understand their basic research background are often able to place their particular problem in a more general context and thereby deal with it successfully. Also the procedures of applied behavior analysis are often the same as those that characterize basic research; the scientist-practitioner will appreciate the relation between what he or she is doing and what basic experimenters do, and as a consequence, will be able to apply therapeutic techniques more creatively and effectively.
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Leigland S. Functions of research in radical behaviorism for the further development of behavior analysis. THE BEHAVIOR ANALYST 2010; 33:207-22. [PMID: 22532716 PMCID: PMC2995516 DOI: 10.1007/bf03392220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The experimental analysis of behavior began as an inductively oriented, empirically based scientific field. As the field grew, its distinctive system of science-radical behaviorism-grew with it. The continuing growth of the empirical base of the field has been accompanied by the growth of the literature on radical behaviorism and its implications. In this article the case is made that radical behaviorism is more than an abstract description of the assumptions and practices of the field; it is an active area of research within the field itself, and that such theoretical research is of great importance to the development of the field. Some of the characteristics of radical behaviorism are described in brief, along with the functions of organization, clarification, and extension of various aspects of behavior-analytic science. Research examples are given from the areas of work on the system itself, behavior-analytic theory, and implications of behavior analysis for issues and findings in other fields. The unique characteristics of radical behaviorism provide an integrative and generative scientific framework for the continuing development of behavior analysis.
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