The experimental analysis of culture has investigated analogs of ontogenetic behavioral
processes at the cultural level as one of its fronts of investigation. The present work had
the objective of evaluating the effects of the use of negative reinforcement on
interlocking behavioral contingencies (IBCs) in laboratory microcultures. Two studies
were conducted, the first with the goal of analyzing the effects of negative
reinforcement in an operant level on the selection of IBCs and their aggregate product
(AP) and on the occurrence of task abandonment; the second had the goal of verifying
the effects of an analog of negative reinforcement in cultural level on the selection of
IBCs+AP and on the occurrence of task abandonment. 39 undergraduate students took
part of Study 1 and 41 in Study 2. The task consisted in selecting rows in a 10x10
matrix with numbered rows and columns represented by letters. The operant response
was the choice of a row, with points exchangeable for money as reinforcers. The target
IBC+AP consisted of different colored rows chosen by all three participants, with the
first participant´s choice being different from the one he/she chose in the previous cycle.
School items were used as cultural consequences (CC). Each 20 cycles indicated a
generation change (entrance of a new participant). After 15 cycles of a generation (20
cycle period) asked the oldest participant if he/she wanted to abandon the task. If
affirmative, he/she was allowed to leave, leaving two participants until a new generation
began. Each studied used two microcultures: Microculture 1 (MC1) and Microculture 2
(MC2). In Study 1, MC1 was exposed to the following experimental conditions:
SR+I/SR-I/SR+II/SR-II; and MC2 to the following: SR-I/SR+I/SR-II/SR+II. SR+ condition
consisted of positive reinforcement and SR- of negative reinforcement, both at an
operant level. In Study 2 the design was CC+I/CC-I/CC+II/CC-II for MC1 and CCI/CC+I/CC-II/CC+II for MC2. CC+ was a cultural analog of positive reinforcement and
CC- of negative reinforcement. In Sutdy 1 the use of negative reinforcement in and
operant level apparently did not affect the selection of IBCs+AP and task abandonment
did not seem to occur due to the programmed contingencies. In Study 2 negative
reinforcing cultural consequences seemed to select the IBCs and there were few
abandonment, independently of the experimental condition, suggesting control by
variables not programmed. Changes in procedures are suggested for better control of the
variables.
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