The effects of short and prolonged reinforcement history on rule-following behavior

Abstract

Twelve college students participated in a study of the effects of three different continuous reinforcement histories on discrepant rule following, regarded that there were programmed contingencies to prevent these histories to generate behavioral variability. A matching-to sample procedure with three comparison stimuli was used; the participants had to point to each one. In Experiment 1, the alternative behavior to the specified by the discrepant rule was established by differential reinforcement and maintained by a continuous reinforcement schedule untill 320 reinforcers were delivered and the discrepant rule was then presented. Experiment 2 differed from Experiment 1 in that the alternative behavior was established by a correspondent rule. Experiment 3 differed from Experiment 1 because the continuous reinforcement history was terminated after the delivery of 80 reinforcers. Of the 12 students, 11 ceased rule following when the discrepant condition occurred. The role of short-term and prolonged histories, regardless of behavioral variation in discrepant rule following , is discussed.