Efeito da história de solução do problema e formulação da regra sobre estas respostas em novos contextos

Abstract

The main objectives of this study were: (1) to investigate the effectiveness of experimental manipulation in the establishment of an experimental history founded on problem solving and rule formulation (Stage 1); (2) to examine the effects of that experimental history upon problem solving and rule formulation in a later test (Stage 2); and (3) to analyze whether the outcomes observed in the Stage 2 had been due the structural similarity of the stimuli employed for or whether they had been determined by similarity of the matching-to-sample procedures employed in both experimental stages. In the three experiments that were conducted in this study structural similarity between the stimuli employed in Stages 1 and 2 was manipulated. In the Experiment 1 seventeen subjects (given by random process) were spread about two groups: Control Group and Experimental Group 1. The Control Group subjects were solely exposed to Stage 2. The stimuli employed in the Stage 1 were the following syllables: Pa, Pe, Pi, Po, Pu and La, Le, Li, Lo, Lu. But despite that, the stimuli employed in the Stage 2 were the next words: Papel, Pedra, Pinça, Poste, Pulga and Lança, Lente, Livro, Louça, Luvas. The rules established for these experimental conditions were: Whether the first letter of the syllable/word is a P, then touch green card on the screen or Whether the first letter of the syllable/word is a L, then touch red card on the screen . The subjects had an opportunity to report the rules after fifty trials exposure. In the Experiments 2 and 3 were created Experimental Groups 2 and 3 with eight subjects each. All subjects were exposed to Stages 1 and 2 in those later experiments. Nevertheless, in the Experimental Group 2, the stimuli employed in Stage 1 were white or blue geometric forms. In the Experimental Group 3, the stimuli employed in Stage 1 were the following syllables: Ba, Be, Bi, Bo, Bu and Fa, Fe, Fi, Fo, Fu. The Stage 2 was the same for the three experiments. Data analysis showed a proportional decrease in problem solving and rule formulation behaviour frequencies related to stimuli structural similarity and functional relations strength lessening. Without regard to it, the new established contingencies have gradually reduced in effectiveness the historical background. The not straight construction of verbal history was observed in this study as well.