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A Theory of Rule-Governed Behavior

A Theory of Rule-Governed Behavior. CH 24. Finishing papers, courses, degrees. Daunting task Well-intentioned plans Sometimes things get in the way of completion Sometimes finishing is delayed or does not occur at all Ineffective contingencies. The PROBLEM: Procrastination.

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A Theory of Rule-Governed Behavior

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  1. A Theory of Rule-Governed Behavior CH 24

  2. Finishing papers, courses, degrees • Daunting task • Well-intentioned plans • Sometimes things get in the way of completion • Sometimes finishing is delayed or does not occur at all • Ineffective contingencies

  3. The PROBLEM:Procrastination • I’ll do it after I watch this show on TV • I’ll get to it once I finish ___ (fill in the blank) • I mean to read my assignments • I mean to get my homework done • I want to do the necessary work • I have good intentions

  4. What if… • Graduate school

  5. Supervisory System • What if a system were put in place to manage behavior? • What would be effective? • How would it work?

  6. Dillon & Malott (1981) • Problem: Attrition in Ph.D. & M.A. programs • Students not completing theses/dissertations • Most previous research simply documented attrition rate or provided correlations between program characteristics & student success

  7. Dillon & Malott (cont.) • Major recommendations for training programs from previous research (recommendationsbased on subjective impressions): • Specification of research tasks and performance standards • Meetings with a supervisor • Deadlines • Feedback • Incentives

  8. So… • Designed a supervisory system for PhD & MA students • Designed experiments to test the system

  9. Dillon & Malott (cont.) • Student’s research time & effort were considered inputs (or costs) to the supervisory system • Receipt of a degree is considered the output (or value) of the system

  10. Dillon & Malott (cont.) Two preliminary studies: • Studied components of supervisory system and found positive and negative points toward a letter of recommendation, combined with weekly feedback, effectively controlled research behavior • Have shown that points alone are effective (Note: Other parts of system must be working well, including acceptable quality of research, cost (time/effort) of supervision time is low, other coursework is completed

  11. Dillon & Malott (cont.) • 34 MA & 5 PhD students in an ABA program @ WMU; 1 faculty advisor • Ph.D. students supervised MA students • 11 dependent variables… • 3 groups

  12. Dependent Variables • Individual mtg. attendance (30 min/week) • Review article (2 articles/week; 100 words/article) • Data presentation (weekly if implementing research) • Log (optional – 125 words; ideas, meeting notes) • Hours (sum – minimum of 12/week) • Output graphs (hours worked/week) • Writing (formal manuscript write-up – 1,000 words) • Editing (improved readability) • Research proposal (200 words: problem, setting, research recommendations) • Non-recurring tasks (special applications: candidacy) • Large-group mtg. attendance (2 hours/week)

  13. Point & Feedback System • Positive points if met criterion (+3) • Negative points if did not meet criterion (-3) • Letters of recommendation included the percentage of positive and negative points earned by the student • (they could earn extra credit)

  14. Experimental Conditions • Positive & negative points • Positive points • Feedback • Instructions only

  15. Specification Meetings Deadlines Feedback Consequences Positive Points Negative Points These components could be included in an individual’s system Components that could be in effect:

  16. Conditions manipulated & supervisory system components in effect

  17. Supervisor • Checked all of the tasks to gather data

  18. Three Groups of Students • Generating • Implementing • Writing

  19. Experimental Design

  20. Results Collapsed data across the experimental conditions…

  21. Additional Comparison • Compared students involved in the behavioral system with other MA students (some in ABA and some not)

  22. Discussion • Within system: No overlap between points system and both feedback and instruction conditions across all 7 experiments • Between system: B-S students start thesis activities sooner, more graduate in less time • B-S students appreciated quantity and quality of feedback

  23. The PROBLEM:Procrastination • I’ll do it after I watch this show on TV • I’ll get to it once I finish ___ (fill in the blank) • I mean to read my assignments • I mean to get my homework done • I want to do the necessary work • I have good intentions

  24. The SOLUTION???? The BOSS warned me……

  25. Did the WARNING help? Two months later, work still not done…

  26. Solution Performance management: Performance contracting or Behavioral contracting (SYSTEM)

  27. Performance Contract • A written rule statement describing the desired or undesired behavior, the occasion when the behavior should or should not occur, and the added outcome for that behavior.

  28. Performance Management Rules • Put it in writing

  29. Behavioral “Weekend Reading & Writing” Performance Contract

  30. Performance Management Rules • Put it in writing • Have effective performance management contingencies

  31. Ruth’s Contingencies • If at least 15 points are earned by Sunday at 5 pm, Ruth will go out to movie that evening • If less than 15 points are earned by Sunday at 5pm, Ruth will work until finished & not go to movie

  32. Performance Management Rules • Put it in writing • Have effective performance management contingencies • Performance not monitored once a week turns to Jell-o

  33. Behavioral “Weekend Reading & Writing” Performance Contract

  34. Performance Management Rules • Put it in writing • Have effective performance management contingencies • Performance not monitored once a week turns to Jell-o • Specify the contingencies clearly

  35. Behavioral “Weekend Writing” Performance Contract

  36. Performance Management Contingency  After  Ruth will not lose those 6 points at meeting SD Before meeting at 5pm Behavior Ruth writes 10 PPT slides & 5 pages Before Ruth will lose 6 points at meeting After Ruth will lose those 6 points at meeting SD After meeting at 5pm

  37. What kind of contingency is this? Avoidance of Loss After  Ruth will not lose those 6 points at meeting SD Before meeting at 5pm Behavior Ruth writes 3 pages Before Ruth will lose 6 points at meeting After Ruth will lose those 6 points at meeting SD After meeting at 5pm

  38. Performance Contract • A written rule statement describing the desired or undesired behavior, • the occasion when the behavior should or should not occur, and • the added outcome for that behavior. Contract

  39. Theory of Rule-Governed Behavior • Theoretical and somewhat controversial ideas…..

  40. How do rules govern our behavior? • Remember this is theoretical… Environment exerts 2 types of control over behavior… operant and respondent Rule control explains influence of indirect acting contingencies What function or role do rules serve?

  41. Rule statements function as SD’s? Not Likely • A rule is a description of a behavioral contingency • Function as reinforcement or punishment based SD’s? • Absence of rule should serve as an SD but it doesn’t. • SD ANALYSIS DOES NOT WORK.

  42. Example • You enjoy drinking a smoothie regardless of whether someone has given you a rule about how much you’d enjoy drinking it • Someone may tell you you’ll like drinking the smoothie, and that may govern behavior, but it does not seem to be a reinforcement based SD • Drinking a smoothie is not under the stimulus control of the rule…

  43. Malott suggests:Rule statements are establishing operations • A rule statement is an establishing operation that establishes noncompliance with the rule as an aversive motivating condition.

  44. Example You state the following rule to yourself: “If I don’t start reading this chapter, I’m not going to be ready for the quiz.” After you’ve stated that rule, your goofing off produces an aversive condition. The aversive condition (establishing operation) is present Establishes noncompliance with rule (goofing off) as an aversive condition (produces “fear,” “quilt,” “anxiety”) Begin reading – experience a reduction in aversive stimulation (what contingency is this?)

  45. Aversive Condition??? • Guilt • Anxiety • Fear • Nervousness

  46. So • Stating the rule and not working is like turning on the shock in an escape experiment. Working on the assignment is the escape response. • Just beginning the assignment may reduce the aversiveness a bit… • Does this sound familiar????

  47. Yes! • This is a direct-acting contingency controlling our rule-governed behavior, even when the rule describes an indirect-acting contingency.

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