CONTINGENCIES OF CULTURAL SELECTION

Abstract

Cultural practices are social phenomena maintained by contingencies that prevail in societies, groups, or organizations. The behavioral approach to cultural practices has been characterized primarily by the analysis of operant behavior of people working individually. The concept of metacontingency opened the possibility empirical research in an area previously only open to interpretation. The present paper explores the concept in laboratory experimentation, interpretation of natural experiments, and analysis of laws, regulations and similar instruments for describing contingency for regulating the behavior of people living in society.   Key-words: behavior analysis, culture, cultural practices, social contingencies, metacontingencies.