RBDT: A Computerized Task System based in Transposition for the Continuous Analysis of Relational Behavior Dynamics in Humans

Summary

RBDT integrates behavioral patterns based on discrete responses (e.g., stimuli selection, placement of figures) and continuous responses (e.g., tracking of cursor movements, figure dragging) to study relational behavior with humans. RBDT is a challenging task based on transposition, in which the participant sets up stimuli compounds with a relational criterion (more/less than).

Abstract

The most extensively employed paradigm for the analysis of relational behavior is the transposition task. Nevertheless, it has two important limitations for its use in humans. The first one is the "ceiling effect" reported in linguistic participants. The second limitation is that the standard transposition task, being a simple choice task between two stimuli, does not include active behavioral patterns and their recording, as relevant factors in emergence of relational behavior. In the present work, a challenging multi-object task based on transposition, integrated with recording software, is presented. This paradigm requires behavioral active patterns to form stimuli compounds with a given relational criteria. The paradigm is composed of three arrangements: a) a bank of stimuli, b) sample relational compounds, and c) comparison relational compounds. The task consists of the participant constructing two comparison relational compounds by dragging figures of a bank of stimuli with the same relation shown by the sample relational compounds. These factors conform an integrated system that can be manipulated in an individual or integrative manner. The software records discrete responses (e.g., stimuli selections, placements) and continuous responses (e.g., tracking of cursor movements, figure dragging). The obtained data, data analysis and graphical representations proposed are compatible with frameworks that assume an active nature of the attentional and perceptual processes and an integrated and continuous system between the perceiver and the environment. The proposed paradigm deepens the systematic study of relational behavior in humans in the framework of the transposition paradigm and expands it to a continuous analysis of interaction between active patterns and the dynamics of relational behavior.

Introduction

The ability to recognize and respond based on the relational qualities of objects regardless of absolute attributes that each one possesses is named relational behavior. From an ecological view, relational behavior could be critical to the adjustment of the organisms, humans and not humans, to complex and dynamic natural environments. In social and ecological contexts, the organisms are constrained to respond to permutable aspects of the environment (e.g., food, predators) that vary in relation to given qualities (e.g., size, color, smell, the intensity of a given sound, etc.) of the objects, events, and other organisms. One of the most exciting and controversial issu....

Protocol

Both protocols follow university guidelines to conduct behavioral research with human participants. RBDT software and the user's manual can be downloaded from https://osf.io/7xscj/

1. Experiment 1: Relational behavior under different relational criteria without restriction of active patterns of behavior

NOTE: Five elementary school children, between 10 to 11 years-old, volunteered to participate in this study, with the informed consent of their parents and teachers.

1. Apparatus and experimental situation
   1. Use five Pentium laptop computers, each one with a 14" monitor, keyboard, and op....

Results

EXPERIMENT 1:
The behavioral continuum of each participant was analyzed. Analysis included comparison of excessive placements and variety of placement sequences, latencies in seconds between placements, choice of permutable, non-permutable and irrelevant stimuli, and correct (correct trials regardless of the number of placements or use of corrective trials) and accurate trials (correct trials with four placements and without corrective trials).

In the ordering task, whic.......

Discussion

The proposed paradigm expands and deepens the systematic study of relational behavior in humans in the framework of the transposition paradigm. On the one hand, it allows the analysis of some factors and parameters previously studied in the area - e.g., stimulus modality^2,5,10,23,26; difference or disparity between stimuli^4,<.......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Pentium Laptop Computer	-	-	Monitor must be a minimum of 14", and windows processor.
Keyboard	-	-	-
Optic Mouse	-	-	It is suggested to use a device other than the touchpad to be used as a mouse.
RbDT			https://osf.io/7xscj/