Funções comportamentais e efeitos de regras que especificam prazos e consequências sobre o comportamento de crianças da pré-escola

Abstract

Skinner (1969/1980) described rules as contingency specifying stimuli with discriminative stimulus function. Based on this assumption, behavior analysts led much experimental research on rule-governed behavior and other possible behavioral functions of rules have not been investigated. Nevertheless a conceptual debate has started within Behavior Analysis about other functions of rules. This work is an experimental investigation on the function-altering effects of rules proposed in this conceptual debate. Another objective of this study was to investigate the effects of the statement of deadlines and consequences, alone or combined, on the behavior of Kindergarten children, when the opportunity to respond was immediate or delayed. Twenty children, aged from 4 to 5 years, were assigned into two experimental groups, following baseline. The study had two Parts. In Part I, rules with either a deadline OR a consequence for the specified response (or compliance) were studied. Group I was exposed to a sequence of experimental conditions that always started with immediate opportunity to respond. Group II was exposed to the same conditions, but always starting with delayed opportunity to respond. In Part II, attended 12 children, and rules specified both deadlines and consequences, always with immediate opportunity for the Group I and delayed opportunity for the Group II. The results demonstrate the function-altering function exerted by rules that specify deadlines and consequences, as well as extend other researchers data quantity and generality. Significant results were also obtained in terms of compliance with rules, under conditions of deadlines and / or consequences not previously investigated