| dc.description.abstract | This thesis is an empirical study examining (a) whether instructional control would be transmitted across “generations” of participants and (b) what effect a history of receiving additional reinforcing consequences for compliance can have on instructional control and subsequent rule-governed insensitivity. Four microcultures with nine participants in each were formed for this purpose. Participants were presented with repeated choices between two options, a progressive-time schedule, and a fixed-time schedule. In a history training phase, the first three participants were given an accurate instruction describing a choice pattern of switching between schedules. In three of the four microcultures, these three participants received additional points for compliance with the instruction. In a subsequent test phase and with no further instructions, additional points were discontinued, and the optimal contingency for earning points was changed. From this point on, one participant was replaced every second session, creating a total of seven generations of participants in each microculture. A mixed-method approach was used for collecting data to analyze participants’ choices and verbal behavior during experimental sessions. Results suggest that responding was under instructional control and that it was transmitted across several generations of participants in all microcultures. The strength of instructional control, however, differed across generations and especially between microcultures. Further, it is suggested that the discontinuation of additional points could have indicated changes in contingencies and thus have facilitated more variable responding. | en_US |
