The present study aimed to assess the effects of a) a history of an alternative behavior to that specified by the rule, established by differential reinforcement and maintained in CRF before the presentation of the rule; b) schedule of reinforcement programmed to strengthen the non-following rules (it means the alternative behavior) after presentation of rule and c) the formal properties of rules (it means the future social consequences, implicitly reported in the rules) on the discrepant rule following contingencies. Twenty-four college students were exposed to a procedure for choosing in agreement with the model. The task was to point out the comparison stimuli in sequence. Students were distributed in four conditions. In each condition, in Phase 1, the correct sequence (it means alternative to the behavior specified by the rule) was established by differential reinforcement in continuous schedule of reinforcement and maintained in this scheme. In Phases 2 and 3, the contingencies were kept unchanged, while the rules were manipulated. In Phases 2 and 3, the contingencies were kept unchanged while the rules were manipulated. In Phase 1 of the Conditions 1 and 3, questions were asked about the contingencies. In Conditions 2 and 4, no questions were asked. In Conditions 1 and 2, Phase 2 was initiated with a suggestion and Phase 3 with a order. In Conditions 3 and 4, was the reverse. In Phase 2 100% of participants were lost to follow-up of the discrepant rule of contingencies in form of suggestion and 60% of participants were lost to follow-up of the discrepant rule of contingencies in form of order. The results support the suggestion that the characteristic effect of a certain variable (for example, the story of the continuous reinforcement of the alternative behavior specified by the rule) to make the following discrepant rule sensitive to contingencies and may depend on its combination with other variables. They also suggest that the formal properties of the rules should now be considered as a variable that can interfere with the following rules.
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