SELECTION OF INTERLOCKING BEHAVIORAL CONTINGENCIES BY INTERMITENT CULTURAL CONSEQUENCES

Abstract

We examined the effects of intermittent cultural consequences (CCs), in conditions analogous to FR2, FR3, VR2, and VR3 on the selection of IBCs+APs. Twenty-seven participants took part in a FR microculture, and twenty-five took part in a VR microculture, each one with three participants being substituted each 20 rounds. Participants were exposed to a 10x10 matrix, with rows of five different colors. The task consisted of choosing rows in the matrix. Individual consequences (ICs) consisted of tokens exchangeable for money, while CCs consisted of stamps exchangeable for school items that were donated to a public school. Results show the selection of IBCs+APs under all conditions, replicating and expanding data found in the literature on cultural selection under intermittent schedules. Keywords: cultural selection, metacontingencies, interlocking behavioral contingencies, intermittent cultural consequences.