Evaluating the interaction among instructions and superstitious behavior in concurrent schedules

Authors

  • Marcelo Frota Lobato Benvenuti PUC-SP
  • Jéssica de Sousa PUC-SP
  • Caio Flavio Miguel California State University, Sacramento

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5380/psi.v13i1.10824

Keywords:

superstitious behavior, instruction, concurrent schedules

Abstract

 

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the interaction between instructions and “superstitious” behavior in an Ext component of a conc VI Ext schedule. Participants, high-school students, received correct or incorrect instructions at the beginning of the sessions. Correct instructions consisted of telling the participants that they should respond to only one component of the schedule; incorrect instructions consisted of telling the participants to respond to both components of the schedule. After and before the sessions, participants received questions that asked what they would need to do during sessions. Four of the seven participants responded both in Ext and in VI components of concurrent schedule at last in one session. Analysis of frequencies of responses in Ext components showed that three of these four participants responded during the whole session. Superstitious behavior (responding in Ext component) depended on variability generated by instructions or by non-verbal contingencies at the beginning of the sessions.

 

Keywords: superstitious behavior; instruction; concurrent schedules.  

Author Biographies

Marcelo Frota Lobato Benvenuti, PUC-SP

Doutor pela USP, Psicologia Experimental. Professor na Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Sao Paulo (PUC-SP).

Jéssica de Sousa, PUC-SP

Graduada em Psicologia pela PUC-SP. Bolsista CEPE-PUC IC durante a graduação.

Caio Flavio Miguel, California State University, Sacramento

Doutor em Psicologia pela Western Michigan University. Professor de Psicologia na California State University

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Published

2009-10-29

How to Cite

Benvenuti, M. F. L., Sousa, J. de, & Miguel, C. F. (2009). Evaluating the interaction among instructions and superstitious behavior in concurrent schedules. Interação Em Psicologia, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.5380/psi.v13i1.10824

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 1 (2009)

Section

Articles

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