The Psychological Record最新文献

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effects of behavioral procedures, including relational training and multiple exemplar training on empathic responding of individuals who display racial bias. In particular, this study used a multielement design with five adult participants to evaluate whether the presentation of relational frames of coordination and distinction between the participants’ values and the values of a person belonging to a group for which a bias existed altered empathic responses toward people belonging to such groups. The results showed empathic responding was higher when relational frames of coordination were presented and lower when relational frames of distinction were presented. This study provides preliminary data suggesting that relational training may result in altered patterns of empathic responses toward people belonging to different racial groups for which a bias previously was observed.

Laboratory models of renewal are critical for understanding this form of behavioral relapse and informing clinical practice to reduce the occurrence of relapse and facilitate the maintenance of treatment gains. Nonsequential renewal is a modified procedure developed by (Sullivan et al. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 110(1), 74–86 2018) that provides an arrangement to study operant renewal in a manner more consistent with clients receiving clinical services, which involves exposing subjects to treatment and baseline conditions across two or more contexts. Experiment 1 replicated the procedure of (Craig et al. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 112(2), 210–223 2019) to compare ABA renewal of target responding in rats exposed to the nonsequential or sequential renewal procedure. Experiment 2 investigated the use of an olfactory extinction cue in mitigating renewal. In Experiment 1, the Nonsequential Group displayed a greater magnitude of renewal compared to the Sequential Group, consistent with the findings from (Craig et al. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 110(1), 74–86 2019) but inconsistent with those from (Sullivan et al. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 110(1), 74–86 2018) with human participants. The extinction cue did not mitigate renewal in Experiment 2. The use of a laboratory model of renewal that is more analogous to clinical settings may be valuable in a translational approach to investigating relapse-prevention techniques.

This study aimed to build on existing research on the implicit relational assessment procedure (IRAP), which has identified different patterns of IRAP effects associated with responses to happy and angry facial expressions. In particular, the study aimed to (1) replicate the previously observed happiness superiority effect, but with a far larger participant group than previous studies and (2) explore whether the IRAP effect would be influenced by self-reported levels of depression. One hundred twenty-two participants completed an IRAP that presented pairs of emotional human faces in a 2x2 crossover design yielding four trial-types: happy face–happy face, happy face–angry face, angry face–happy face and angry face–angry face. The results showed a clear happiness superiority effect, with the IRAP effect for trial-type 1 (happy face–happy face) larger than the IRAP effect for trial-type 4 (angry face–angry face). Self-reported depression appeared to moderate responding on the trial-type 1 alone, with low depressed individuals producing a larger D-IRAP score on the trial-type 1 relative to high depressed individuals. The findings support recent arguments that the stimulus function properties of all elements within an IRAP should be taken into account when predicting and interpreting behavioral patterns produced on the procedure. Considerations for use of the IRAP to predict behaviors in the natural environment are discussed.

Two distinct equivalence classes can be merged by teaching one relation between one member of each class. This association between the classes has the potential to generate emergent relations among all members of each class. The present study proposes an equation that allows prediction of the total number of emergent relations among classes when they are merged. The equation was tested in two situations and reliably predicted the number of emergent relations when two classes were merged into one. Some functional implications of the findings for the merger of equivalence classes are discussed.

The differential arbitrarily applicable relational responding effects (DAARRE) model explains two effects commonly observed with the implicit relational assessment procedure (IRAP): the single trial-type dominance effect (STTDE) and the dissonant-target trial-type effect (DTTTE). We sought to explore variables that modulate these effects. Forty-two participants who completed an IRAP met the practice criteria (median latency ≤ 2,000 ms and accuracy ≥ 80% correct) and thus proceeded to six test blocks of trials. The IRAP had four trial-types: trial-type 1: happy-face—happy-word; trial-type 2: happy-face—fear-word; trial-type 3: fear-face—happy-word; trial-type 4: fear-face—fear-word. Participants were randomly assigned to start with a consistent (respond True, False, False, True, respectively, to the four trial-types) or inconsistent (opposite responding) block. Difference (D_IRAP) scores were calculated (inconsistent minus consistent latencies). A significantly larger D_IRAP score was observed in trial-type 2 relative to trial-type 3 (a DTTTE), but only for participants who started with the inconsistent block. A “happiness superiority” STTDE (i.e., larger D_IRAP score on trial-type 1 relative to trial-type 4) was observed, but only for participants who failed to maintain the criteria at the trial-type level (in any of the trial-types). Overall, the findings highlight the importance of distinguishing between the functional versus relational properties of the stimuli presented within an IRAP. The modulation of the DTTTE is interpreted in terms of functional coherence between the target and response option in inconsistent blocks. A novel data-analytic algorithm is presented to identify performance criteria violations at the trial-type level. The findings suggest that a greater focus is required in relational frame theory on the impact of the functional properties of stimuli on relational framing.

There exists a vast literature on affect and emotion in psychological disciplines, yet contemporary conceptualizations and technologies to predict and influence emotion have been slower to emerge in behavior analysis. The current article is an attempt to conceptualize emotional experiencing through a radical behavioral lens using relational frame theory (RFT) and contemporary extensions. RFT provides a behavioral approach to cognitive appraisal within existing models of human emotion by emphasizing derived relational responding, transformation of stimulus function, and generalized reinforcement learning. Relational density theory (RDT) and the hyperdimensional multilevel (HDML) framework both expand upon RFT and may allow for a more complete account of emotional experiencing within complex networks. Synthesizing these two approaches yields multiple testable predictions that are consistent with RDT across levels of the HDML. Moreover, the ROE-M (relating, orienting, and evoking functions within a motivational context) is a dynamical unit that may be readily evident within emotional experiencing as it is generally described within the psychological literature, and compatible with the synthesized model. Taken together, these approaches and emerging research on affective dynamics may provide a starting point to develop a robust and comprehensive analysis of human emotion that can strengthen behavior analysis and therapies

Response disequilibrium theory suggests that a response deficit in a contingent activity (e.g., iPad time) can increase engagement in an instrumental activity (e.g., work completion) to access the contingent activity. The purpose of the current study was to conduct a systematic replication of Falligant and Rooker The Psychological Record, 71, 307–311, (2021) to further demonstrate the generality and applicability of this approach in clinical contexts. Results of the current study align with prior research demonstrating the ability of the disequilibrium approach to quantify the magnitude and direction of predicted change in instrumental activities based on measures of free operant baseline responding. We discuss study findings from a practical standpoint and offer recommendations for future research on the use of response disequilibrium theory for increasing instrumental activities in clinical practice and research.

Sucrose reinforcement increases operant wheel running, but it is not certain that the increase is due to a reinforcement rather than a schedule-induction effect. To address this issue, eight female Long Evans rats were exposed to a fixed-interval (FI) 60-s schedule with wheel running as the operant. Across three conditions, water, sucrose, and water were delivered as outcomes. In addition, rats also ran freely for 20 min prior to, and subsequent to, exposure to the FI 60-s schedule. Results showed that operant wheel running on the FI 60-s schedule increased when sucrose was delivered. At the level of revolutions, over the reinforcement interval more rats showed increased revolutions in the sucrose condition in the latter half of the interval, consistent with a reinforcement effect, than an inverted U-shaped pattern in the initial half of the interval. Running during the pre- and postoperant running period was not substantially affected by the removal of sucrose reinforcement on the FI 60-s schedule. Sucrose reinforcement, but not water, increased running relative to the pre/post running periods. Results suggest that although both schedule-induction and reinforcement effects occur, the effect that dominates appears to be a function of the duration of the reinforcement interval with a reinforcement effect more prevalent with shorter intervals.

This exploratory and descriptive study used a digital game to investigate the effects of audiences on the accuracy of self-reports of 10 undergraduate students. The participants assumed the role of a prince who, being accused of murdering the king, had to navigate a labyrinthine castle to find proof of his innocence. To wander through the castle players needed to collect objects that maintained the prince’s energy, keeping him alive. Some objects provided a small amount of energy and others provided 20 times more energy but their collection was prohibited by the kingdom’s laws. At specific moments the player was questioned by different characters (audiences) about whether they had transgressed the law. There were four audiences (mother, brother, soldier, and computer) that varied in how they indicated the probability of either punishment or support. All participants completed the game and eight transgressed, collecting forbidden objects. A larger number of distorted reports, denying transgressions, were made to the audiences who signaled a higher probability of punishment, but a significant proportion of distorted reports were made even to the audiences who presented themselves as supportive and nonpunitive. Because no actual punishment for transgressions occurred in the game, reporting behavior was likely influenced by participants’ histories with audiences functionally similar to those simulated in the game.