Both protocols follow university guidelines to conduct behavioral research with human participants. RBDT software and the user&#39;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.
<ol>
	<li>Apparatus and experimental situation
	<ol>
		<li>Use five Pentium laptop computers, each one with a 14&#34; monitor, keyboard, and optic mouse as response device.</li>
		<li>Program the experimental task in Java as it automatically records responses and presents a graphical representation of data. The program to conduct the experimental task will be available for download.</li>
		<li>Perform experimental sessions daily between 9 and 11 am, in individual stations of the Sidney W. Bijou mobile laboratory at University of Veracruz.</li>
		<li>Use stations equipped with one-way mirrors, air conditioning, desks, and chairs, and the before mentioned computers.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Experimental design and task
	<ol>
		<li>In the experimental task, present 15 stimulus objects (SOs) consisting of different shapes. Five of these SOs were relevant to the completion of the task and 10 were irrelevant, as shown in the left part of Figure 1.
		<ol>
			<li>Use five different shapes as relevant stimulus objects: pentagon, rectangle, horizontal rhomboid, parallelogram, and figure in V.</li>
			<li>Use ten different shapes were used as irrelevant stimulus objects: hexagon, triangle, circle, trapezoid, oval, rhombus, square, vertical rhomboid, trapeze, and irregular figure in L.</li>
			<li>Vary the SOs in color saturation or size. In this experiment, we employed SOs with four different degrees of saturation: black (#000000), dark gray (#474747), gray (#A7A7A7) and light gray (#E7E7E7). The size remained constant.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
<img alt="Figure 1" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/62285/62285fig01.jpg" /> 
Figure 1. Example of relevant and irrelevant figures used as stimulus objects (SOs) in each experiment. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/62285/62285fig01large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
<ol start="2" style="margin-left: 40px;">
	<li>Present the SOs in a computer screen, divided in three zones, as shown in the left part of Figure 2.
	<ol>
		<li>In the upper left part of the screen, present the zone of Sample Relational Compounds 1 and 2 (SRC 1, 2). Show two different pairs of figures that set a relationship criterion. Each pair exemplified two degrees of saturation relationship &#34;darker or lighter than&#34; with the same shape.</li>
		<li>In the lower left part of the screen, present the zone of Comparison Relational Compounds 1 and 2 (CRC 1, 2). Show two pairs of empty spaces in this zone. The participant had to form two new pairs of figures that fulfilled the exemplified criteria by choosing figures from the Bank.</li>
		<li>On the right side of the screen, present the Bank zone. In each trial, the bank contained 18 different figures that acquired different relational properties, depending on the criteria exemplified by the SCR 1, 2.
		<ol>
			<li>NOTE: Six figures met the criteria set by the SRC (permutable figures), six figures were eligible to be used correctly but under another criteria (non-permutable figures), and six figures did not meet the criteria set by the SRC (irrelevant figures).</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>To place the figures in the CRC zone, have the participant select the figure with the mouse pointer and drag it to the blank spaces in the CRC zone. Placements of figures could be in different sequences and they could be changed.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
<img alt="Figure 2" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/62285/62285fig02.jpg" /> 
Figure 2. Screens showing a comparison trial in Experiment 1 and 2. In the upper left zone are located the sample relational compounds (SRC), in the bottom zone the boxes to complete de comparison relational compounds (CRC), and in the right section the bank of stimuli. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/62285/62285fig02large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
<ol start="3" style="margin-left: 40px;">
	<li>Use a single-subject AB design with two replications and three phases (Table 1). Each phase consisted of three training sessions: S1 to S3 (phase 1), S4 to S6 (phase 2), and S7 to S9 (phase 3), consisting of 36 trials (18 &#34;darker than&#34; and 18 &#34;lighter than&#34;, randomized) per session (a total of 108 training trials per phase), and one test session consisting of 36 trials (18 &#34;darker than&#34; and 18 &#34;lighter than&#34;, randomized). 
	NOTE: Each phase involved a different relationship criterion in terms of the SOs being used. Examples of the screens of each relationship criteria are shown in Figure 3.</li>
	<li>During training, give the participant feedback after completing the CRC 1, and 2. After each trial, present the word &#34;correct&#34; or &#34;incorrect&#34; depending on if the CRC conformed fulfilled the criteria exemplified by the SRC 1, 2.
	<ol>
		<li>Use a corrective procedure when the CRC was incorrect. Display the same trial up to two more times (these trials were called corrective trials). If the answer was wrong again, display a new trial. If the answer was correct, display a new trial immediately.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Present test trials without feedback and show only once.</li>
	<li>Each phase involved a different relationship criterion in terms of the SOs being used.</li>
	<li>Before the first experimental phase, conduct one session of an &#34;ordering task&#34; to verify that participants could place each type of stimulus component along a saturation continuum.</li>
</ol>
<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="2">Phase 1</td>
			<td colspan="2">Phase 2</td>
			<td colspan="2">Phase 3</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>S1 to S3</td>
			<td>Test 1</td>
			<td>S4 to S6</td>
			<td>Test 2</td>
			<td>S7 to S9</td>
			<td>Test 3</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="2">Similar stimulus objects</td>
			<td colspan="2">Different stimulus objects</td>
			<td colspan="2">Different stimulus objects in each CRC</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
Table 1. Design of Experiment 1
<img alt="Figure 3" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/62285/62285fig03.jpg" /> 
Figure 3. Examples of screen of each relationship in the three phases of the Experiment 1. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/62285/62285fig03large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
<ol start="3">
	<li>Procedure
	<ol>
		<li>Ordering task
		<ol>
			<li>Present the ordering task on a screen with two zones, as shown in the left part of Figure 4. The upper zone of the screen showed a row of four empty boxes.</li>
			<li>In the lower zone, show four figures with each varying on a saturation continuum.</li>
			<li>Have participants order, from &#34;darker to lighter&#34; (or vice versa), the four figures in each one of the upper empty boxes, using the mouse pointer.</li>
			<li>When stimuli were correctly placed, present a new trial. If stimuli were incorrectly ordered, withdraw the stimuli and have a text indicating &#34;incorrect&#34; in the right upper side of the screen. Then repeat the trial two more times.</li>
			<li>After this, present a new trial.</li>
			<li>Present two blocks of 6 different trials, one for the &#34;darker to lighter&#34; sequence and one for the &#34;lighter to darker&#34; sequence.</li>
			<li>At the beginning of the task, present participants with the following instructions on the screen: &#34;In the upper section of the screen four empty spaces are presented, you must fill them by placing in order the figures located in the lower section.&#34; When the ordering criterion changed, present a text informing that figures should be place in the opposite order.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
<img alt="Figure 4" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/62285/62285fig04.jpg" /> 
Figure 4. Examples of screen in ordering task in Experiment 1 and 2. In the upper zone are the empty spaces to order the figures shown in the lower zone. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/62285/62285fig04large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
<ol start="4">
	<li>Comparison task
	<ol>
		<li>Have participants form two relational compounds (CRC) involving two stimuli, each one according to the exemplified relation shown by a pair of sample relational compounds (SRC).</li>
		<li>Form comparison compounds by placing stimulus objects taken from the bank zone.</li>
		<li>Arrange stimuli according to the features above described in terms of modality, absolute value, and relational value relative to a relationship criterion, in this case, saturation.</li>
		<li>Form each comparison compound (CRC) with the same stimulus object (shape) but with two different values in saturation, according to a &#34;darker than&#34; or &#34;lighter than&#34; relationship criteria shown by SRC.</li>
		<li>In each experimental phase, a different relationship criterion applied regarding the stimulus objects being compared (Table 1).
		<ol>
			<li>In the first phase, have each trial include a similar stimulus object in terms of its shape in the four compounds (left screen in Figure 3).</li>
			<li>In the second phase, use a different stimulus object (shape) for the sample and comparison compounds (middle screen in Figure 3).</li>
			<li>In the third phase, have both sample and comparison compounds include different stimulus objects in each of the two relational pairs (right screen in Figure 3).</li>
			<li>Vary stimulus shapes in every trial from a set of five relevant shapes.</li>
			<li>Place stimuli in each box of the comparison compound by using the mouse pointer.</li>
			<li>There was no restriction regarding the order of placements in CRC. The set of placements to complete each trial was called a placement sequence.</li>
			<li>Have participants make as many placements and stimulus changes as they wanted before placing the fourth stimulus and completing both CRC.
			<ol>
				<li>The minimum number of placements to complete a trial was four, one placement for each empty box in the CRC zone. Changes of placed figures were called excessive placements.</li>
			</ol>
			</li>
			<li>At the beginning of the first training session, present participants with the following instructions on the screen: &#34;There are two spaces in the upper left part of the screen, each with a pair of figures that exemplify how the figures have to be set. In the lower left part of the screen there are two spaces, each with two empty boxes, you must fill these boxes with two figures that go together, as the ones in the upper left, you do this by selecting the figures from those presented in the right side of the screen. To select the figures, place the cursor on the figure you want to use, click on the figure with the left mouse button and drag it to the space where you want to place it. Release the left mouse button, the figure will be placed in the space you choose. If you want to change the figure you chose, follow the same procedure, and place the new figure on the space of the previous figure. If your answer is correct, you will advance to the next window. If your answer is incorrect, the word &#34;incorrect&#34; will appear in the upper right part of the screen, the figures will disappear from the spaces where you had placed them and you will have to choose other figures, following the same procedure. For each window you have a maximum of 3 possible errors, if you accumulate 3 errors, you will automatically advance to the next window&#34;.</li>
			<li>At the beginning of the first test session, present participants with the following instructions on the screen: &#34;Solve the task in the same way as in the previous block. When you have completed all four spaces with the arrangement that you consider correct, click the &#34;Continue&#34; button, located at the bottom right of the screen to proceed to the next window. This time you will not be told if your answer is correct or incorrect&#34;.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
2. Dynamics of relational behavior under restriction of behavioral patterns
NOTE: Two sophomore students, 19 and 21 years old, respectively, participated. Students were awarded an extra point in one of their subjects, regardless of their scores obtained in the experiment.
<ol>
	<li>Apparatus and experimental situation
	<ol>
		<li>Use the same ones described in Experiment 1.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Experimental design and task
	<ol>
		<li>Use the task as described in Experiment 1. 
		NOTE: The difference was that in this experiment, the employed SOs varied in four different sizes: smaller (50 x 33 pixels), small (66 x 42 pixels), large (82 53 pixels), and larger (106 x 66 pixels), with four different colors randomly assigned: blue, yellow, red, and black, as shown in the right part of Figure 1.</li>
		<li>Present SOs in a computer screen, divided in three zones, as shown in the right part of Figure 2. In this case SRC 1 and 2 exemplified two degrees of size relationship &#34;larger or smaller than&#34; with the same shape.</li>
		<li>As in Experiment 1, in order to place the figures in the CRC zone, have the participant select the figure with the mouse pointer and drag it to the blank spaces in the CRC zone.</li>
		<li>Place figures in different sequences (called placement sequences) and change (figure changes were called excessive placements) depending on the experimental condition. Placement sequences and excessive placements were considered as local patterns.</li>
		<li>Two sub-experiments of restriction of local patterns were used (Table 2), each participant was assigned to one of two sub-experiments.
		<ol>
			<li>Conform each sub-experiment according to the combination of restrictions or non-restrictions of placement sequences and excessive placements.</li>
			<li>In both sub-experiments, employ three training sessions with 36 trial each (18 &#34;larger than&#34; and 18 &#34;smaller than&#34;, randomized), and one test session consisting of 36 trials each (18 &#34;larger than&#34; and 18 &#34;smaller than&#34;, randomized). In addition, training and test sessions involved a relationship criterion in terms of the SOs being used. 
			NOTE: An example of the screen of relationship criteria is shown in Figure 5.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>During training, after each trial, present the word &#34;correct&#34; or &#34;incorrect&#34;, depending on the CRC conformed.
		<ol>
			<li>If the answer was correct, display a new trial. If the answer was wrong, display the same trial up to two more times (corrective trials).</li>
			<li>Present test trials without feedback and show only once.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>As in Experiment 1, before the first experimental phase, conduct one session of an &#34;ordering task&#34;. In this case, participants could place each type of stimulus component along a size continuum.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Sub-Experiments</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>P1 No restriction of placement sequences and excessive placements</td>
			<td rowspan="2">Training</td>
			<td rowspan="2">Test</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>P2 Restriction of placements sequences and restriction of excessive placements</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
Table 2. Design of Experiment 2&#8203;
<img alt="Figure 5" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/62285/62285fig05.jpg" /> 
Figure 5. Example of screen of relationship criteria in the four sessions of the Experiment 2. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/62285/62285fig05large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
<ol start="3">
	<li>Procedure
	<ol>
		<li>Ordering task
		<ol>
			<li>Use the ordering task as described in Experiment 1. The difference was that four figures shown in the lower zone varied on a size continuum. So, participants had to arrange the figures from &#34;larger to smaller&#34; (or vice versa), as shown in the right part of Figure 4.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Comparison task
		<ol>
			<li>Use the task as described in Experiment 1, the difference was that in each condition, in training and test sessions, a relationship criterion was set in terms of the size (larger or smaller than) and the type (shape) of SOs (see Table 2).</li>
			<li>Have the stimulus objects used in the CRC zone comply with the &#34;larger or smaller than&#34; relationship, had to vary the degrees of size and be different in shape with respect to the SRC (see the right part of Figure 2).</li>
			<li>Differ each sub-experiment in terms of restriction or not of local patterns: 1) in the first one, the placement sequences could vary, and it was allowed to have excessive placements, 2) in the second one, placement sequences and excessive placements were restricted. In the condition with restrictions participant were not informed about it.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>

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A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Studies+In+The+Transposition+Of+Learning+By+Children:+III.+Transpositional+Response+As+A+Function+Of+The+Number+Of+Transposed+Dimensions.">Studies In The Transposition Of Learning By Children: III. Transpositional Response As A Function Of The Number Of Transposed Dimensions.</a> Journal of Experimental Psychology. 25 (1), 116-124 (1939).</li><li>Lawrence, D. H., Derivera, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Evidence+for+relational+transposition.">Evidence for relational transposition.</a> Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology. 47 (6), 465 (1954).</li><li>Derenne, A., Garnett, A. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effects+of+Successive+and+Simultaneous+Stimulus+Presentations+on+Absolute+and+Relational+Stimulus+Control+in+Adult+Humans.">Effects of Successive and Simultaneous Stimulus Presentations on Absolute and Relational Stimulus Control in Adult Humans.</a> The Psychological Record. 66 (1), 165-175 (2016).</li><li>Stevenson, H. W., Iscoe, I., McConnell, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+developmental+study+of+transposition.">A developmental study of transposition.</a> Journal of Experimental Psychology. 49 (4), 278-280 (1955).</li><li>Yamazaki, Y. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Transposition+and+its+generalization+in+common+marmosets.">Transposition and its generalization in common marmosets.</a> Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition. , 20140505 (2014).</li><li>Kroupin, I., Carey, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Population+differences+in+performance+on+Relational+Match+to+Sample+(RMTS)+sometimes+reflect+differences+in+inductive+biases+alone.">Population differences in performance on Relational Match to Sample (RMTS) sometimes reflect differences in inductive biases alone.</a> Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences. 37, 75-83 (2021).</li><li>Wasserman, E. A., Young, M. E., Castro, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mechanisms+of+same-different+conceptualization:+entropy+happens.">Mechanisms of same-different conceptualization: entropy happens.</a> Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences. 37, 19-28 (2021).</li><li>Kotovsky, L., Gentner, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Comparison+and+Categorization+in+the+Development+of+Relational+Similarity.">Comparison and Categorization in the Development of Relational Similarity.</a> Child Development. 67 (6), 2797-2822 (1996).</li><li>Gibson, E. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Principles of perceptual learning and development. , (1969).</li><li>Lombardo, T. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> The Reciprocity of Perceiver and Environment: The Evolution of James J. Gibson's Ecological Psychology. , (2017).</li><li>Turvey, M. T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Lectures on Perception: An Ecological Perspective. , (2018).</li><li>Gibson, J. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception: Classic Edition. , (2014).</li><li>Gibson, J. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+theory+of+direct+visual+perception.">A theory of direct visual perception.</a> Vision and mind: selected readings in the philosophy of perception. , (2002).</li><li>Zinchenko, V. P., Chzhi-tsin, V., Tarakanov, V. V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+Formation+and+Development+of+Perceptual+Activity.">The Formation and Development of Perceptual Activity.</a> Soviet Psychology and Psychiatry. 2 (1), 3-12 (1963).</li></ol>

The authors have nothing to disclose.

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 modality2,5,10,23,26; difference or disparity between stimuli4,<...

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 issues in the history of behavioral science is the emergence of relational behavior. This is, do animals (non-humans and humans) perceive and respond to relational qualities of stimuli, regardless of the absolute attributes that each one possess?1,2,3,4,5. The affirmative answer implies that organisms&#39; responses integrates segments of stimulation that vary in degree in, at least, one relevant dimension or quality, such as the size or saturation of the stimuli6,7. In spite of the cited controversy, there is strong evidence that supports the emergence of relational behavior in animals4,8,9,10 and humans11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18.
Different paradigms have been used for the analysis of relational behavior. The most extensively employed has been the transposition task5,8. In the transposition task, the participant responds to a given stimulus in such a way that its relevant property (e.g., &#39;shorter than&#39;) is relative to the property of other stimuli in the context of a composed gradient of multiple values (at least three) in a given dimension (e.g., size). Different specific values of the stimuli can take different relational values within the gradient; this is, the specific value of each stimulus can permute its relational values in a given dimension. In simple words, the same stimuli could be &#39;shorter than&#39; or &#39;bigger than&#39; depending on comparison stimuli within a size gradient. Some of the reasons of why the transposition task has been a central paradigm for the study of relational behavior are the following: a) the paradigm is susceptible to be extended to different stimuli dimensions2,19,20,21,22,23,24,25; b) by consequence, it is useful for the study of relational behavior in different species (e.g., chickens, pigeons, chimpanzee, turtles, horses, humans)2,4,10,11,18,26; c) it clearly shows changes of the relational value of the stimuli9; d) the task allows parametrical variations of different relevant factors involved in relational behaviour9 and; e) the task allows to conduct comparative studies between different stimuli dimensions and different species or organisms27,28,29,30.
The study of relational behavior in animals is more extensive, systematic and has stronger evidence than in humans. The main reason of this is the &#39;ceiling effect&#39; frequently observed when the participants are humans11. In this context, recently challenging tasks have been proposed based on transposition for the study of relational behavior in this population6,7,11. In this way, the present work advances from the previous ones and presents a paradigm based on a modified-transposition task for the continuous analysis of relational behavior in humans.
Relational behavior under the transposition paradigm has been usually studied in simple choice situations, with only two stimulus options, and a reduced number of values along a single stimulus dimension in which participants are not allowed to display active patterns with respect to stimuli (e.g., inspecting, dragging, moving, and placing figures). Nevertheless, the experimental analysis of relational behavior might include situations with a) a greater number of stimulus values that allows to permutate or change the relational value of the stimuli; b) more than one relevant stimulus dimension and c) active behavioral patterns requirements, beyond the usually discrete dichotomous selections of the participants. These modifications would allow to evaluate factors not previously considered, mainly, the role of active patterns (e.g., inspecting, dragging, moving and placing figures) in relational behavior, and might prevent the &#34;ceiling effect&#34; observed when linguistic humans solve the standard task11.
RBDT allows the integration of patterns based on discrete responses (e.g., stimuli selection, placement of figures) and continuous responses (e.g., tracking of cursor movements, figure dragging) to analyze the emergence of relational behavior. Two different relational compounds, comprising two stimulus each one, show the same relational properties. They are presented as a sample to compose two new stimulus segments, by means of the active patterns of the participant. The task requires the relational comparability of the stimulus segments. This involves that each one of the two constructed stimulus-segments can be compared to one another as equivalent in terms of their relational properties, but also with respect to the two-sample stimulus-segments. The relations are identified in terms of &#34;greater than&#34; or &#34;less than&#34; magnitude (i.e., size or saturation).
To exemplify some of the possibilities of the experimental arrangements allowed by the presented paradigm, two experiments were conducted. The first experiment shows an exploration of relational behavior under different relational criteria without restriction of active patterns of behavior. The second experiment contrasts the dynamics of relational behavior under restriction of behavioral patterns adding a continuous recording and analysis of dragging and inspection activity with the mouse cursor.

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	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Pentium Laptop Computer</td>
			<td>-</td>
			<td>-</td>
			<td>Monitor must be a minimum of 14&#34;, and windows processor.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Keyboard</td>
			<td>-</td>
			<td>-</td>
			<td>-</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Optic Mouse</td>
			<td>-</td>
			<td>-</td>
			<td>It is suggested to use a device other than the touchpad to be used as a mouse.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>RbDT</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>https://osf.io/7xscj/</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

rbdt: a computerized task system based in transposition for the continuous analysis of relational behavior dynamics in humans

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 &#34;ceiling effect&#34; 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.

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...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about RBDT: A Computerized Task System based in Transposition for the Continuous Analysis of Relational Behavior Dynamics in Humans at JoVE.com

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

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).

The most extensively employed paradigm for the analysis of relational behavior is the transposition task. Nevertheless, it has two important limitations ...

rbdt-computerized-task-system-based-transposition-for-continuous

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2.9K Views.  Universidad Veracruzana. 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).

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

The Crossmodal Congruency Task as a Means to Obtain an Objective Behavioral Measure in the Rubber Hand Illusion Paradigm

The rubber hand illusion (RHI) is a popular experimental paradigm. Participants view touch on an artificial rubber hand while the participants' own hidden hand is touched. If the viewed and felt touches are given at the same time then this is sufficient to induce the compelling experience that the rubber hand is one's own hand. The RHI can be used to investigate exactly how the brain constructs distinct body representations for one's own body. Such representations are crucial for successful interactions with the external world. To obtain a subjective measure of the RHI, researchers typically ask participants to rate statements such as "I felt as if the rubber hand were my hand". Here we demonstrate how the crossmodal congruency task can be used to obtain an objective behavioral measure within this paradigm.
The variant of the crossmodal congruency task we employ involves the presentation of tactile targets and visual distractors. Targets and distractors are spatially congruent (i.e. same finger) on some trials and incongruent (i.e. different finger) on others. The difference in performance between incongruent and congruent trials - the crossmodal congruency effect (CCE) - indexes multisensory interactions. Importantly, the CCE is modulated both by viewing a hand as well as the synchrony of viewed and felt touch which are both crucial factors for the RHI.
The use of the crossmodal congruency task within the RHI paradigm has several advantages. It is a simple behavioral measure which can be repeated many times and which can be obtained during the illusion while participants view the artificial hand. Furthermore, this measure is not susceptible to observer and experimenter biases. The combination of the RHI paradigm with the crossmodal congruency task allows in particular for the investigation of multisensory processes which are critical for modulations of body representations as in the RHI.

We demonstrate how an objective measure can be employed in the widely employed rubber hand illusion paradigm. This measure is obtained by modifying the well-established crossmodal congruency task. This task allows the investigation of multisensory processes which are critical for modulations of body representations as in the rubber hand illusion.

The rubber hand illusion (RHI) is a popular experimental paradigm. Participants view touch on an artificial rubber hand while the participants' own hidden ...

Contextual and Cued Fear Conditioning Test Using a Video Analyzing System in Mice

The contextual and cued fear conditioning test is one of the behavioral tests that assesses the ability of mice to learn and remember an association between environmental cues and aversive experiences. In this test, mice are placed into a conditioning chamber and are given parings of a conditioned stimulus (an auditory cue) and an aversive unconditioned stimulus (an electric footshock). After a delay time, the mice are exposed to the same conditioning chamber and a differently shaped chamber with presentation of the auditory cue. Freezing behavior during the test is measured as an index of fear memory. To analyze the behavior automatically, we have developed a video analyzing system using the ImageFZ application software program, which is available as a free download at http://www.mouse-phenotype.org/. Here, to show the details of our protocol, we demonstrate our procedure for the contextual and cued fear conditioning test in C57BL/6J mice using the ImageFZ system. In addition, we validated our protocol and the video analyzing system performance by comparing freezing time measured by the ImageFZ system or a photobeam-based computer measurement system with that scored by a human observer. As shown in our representative results, the data obtained by ImageFZ were similar to those analyzed by a human observer, indicating that the behavioral analysis using the ImageFZ system is highly reliable. The present movie article provides detailed information regarding the test procedures and will promote understanding of the experimental situation.

This article presents a protocol for a contextual and cued fear conditioning test using a video analyzing system to assess fear learning and memory in mice.

The contextual and cued fear conditioning test is one of the behavioral tests that assesses the ability of mice to learn and remember an association ...

Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia

Adolescence is a critical developmental period where the early symptoms of schizophrenia frequently emerge. First-degree relatives of people with schizophrenia who are at familial high risk (FHR) may show similar cognitive and emotional changes. However, the neurological changes underlying the emergence of these symptoms remain unclear. This study sought to identify differences in frontal, striatal, and limbic regions in children and adolescents with FHR using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Groups of 21 children and adolescents at FHR and 21 healthy controls completed an emotional oddball task that relied on selective attention and the suppression of task-irrelevant emotional information. The standard oddball task was modified to include aversive and neutral distractors in order to examine potential group differences in both emotional and executive processing. This task was designed specifically to allow for children and adolescents to complete by keeping the difficulty and emotional image content age-appropriate. Furthermore, we demonstrate a technique for suitable fMRI registration for children and adolescent participants. This paradigm may also be applied in future studies to measure changes in neural activity in other populations with hypothesized developmental changes in executive and emotional processing.

This paper describes how to use the emotional oddball task and fMRI to measure brain activation in children and adolescents at familial high risk for schizophrenia (FHR).&#160;FMRI was used to measure differences in fronto-striato-limbic regions during an emotional oddball task. Children with FHR exhibited abnormal functional activation during adolescence.

Adolescence is a critical developmental period where the early symptoms of schizophrenia frequently emerge. First-degree relatives of people with ...

The 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time Task: A Task of Attention and Impulse Control for Rodents

This protocol describes the 5-choice serial reaction time task, which is an operant based task used to study attention and impulse control in rodents. Test day challenges, modifications to the standard task, can be used to systematically tax the neural systems controlling either attention or impulse control. Importantly, these challenges have consistent effects on behavior across laboratories in intact animals and can reveal either enhancements or deficits in cognitive function that are not apparent when rats are only tested on the standard task. The variety of behavioral measures that are collected can be used to determine if other factors (i.e., sedation, motivation deficits, locomotor impairments) are contributing to changes in performance. The versatility of the 5CSRTT is further enhanced because it is amenable to combination with pharmacological, molecular, and genetic techniques.

This protocol describes the 5-choice serial reaction time task, which is an operant based task used to study attention and impulse control in rodents. Test day challenges, which are modifications of the standard task, increase flexibility of the task and can be combined with other manipulations to more fully characterize behavior.

This protocol describes the 5-choice serial reaction time task, which is an operant based task used to study attention and impulse control in rodents. ...

The Attentional Set Shifting Task: A Measure of Cognitive Flexibility in Mice

Cognitive impairment, particularly involving dysfunction of circuitry within the prefrontal cortex (PFC), represents a core feature of many neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. Deficits in cognitive function also represent the most difficult symptom domain&#160;to successfully treat, as serotonin reuptake inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants have only modest effects. Functional neuroimaging studies and postmortem analysis of human brain tissue implicate the PFC as being a primary region of dysregulation in patients with these disorders. However, preclinical behavioral assays used to assess these deficits in mouse models which can be readily manipulated genetically and could provide the basis for studies of new treatment avenues have been underutilized. Here we describe the adaptation of a behavioral assay, the attentional set shifting task (AST), to be performed in mice to assess prefrontal cortex mediated cognitive deficits. The neural circuits underlying behavior during the AST are highly conserved across humans, nonhuman primates and rodents, providing excellent face, construct and predictive validity.

The goal of this protocol is to perform a behavioral assay such as the attentional set shifting task (AST) to assess prefrontal cortex-mediated cognitive flexibility in mice.

Cognitive impairment, particularly involving dysfunction of circuitry within the prefrontal cortex (PFC), represents a core feature of many ...

Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task

Delay discounting refers to a decline in the value of a reward when it is delayed relative to when it is immediately available. Delay discounting tasks are used to identify indifference points, which reflect equal preference for two dichotomous reward alternatives differing in both delay and magnitude. Indifference points are key to assessing the shape of a delay-discounting gradient because they allow us to isolate the effect of delay on value. For example, if at a 1 week delay and a maximum of $1,000, the indifference point is at $700 we know that, for that participant, a 1-week delay corresponds to a 30% reduction in value. This video outlines an adjusting amount delay-discounting task that identifies indifference points relatively quickly and is inexpensive and easy to administer. Once data have been collected, non-linear regression techniques are typically used to generate discounting curves. The steepness of the discounting curve reflects the degree of impulsive choice of a group or individual. These techniques have been used with a wide range of commodities and have identified populations that are relatively impulsive. For example, people with substance abuse problems discount delayed rewards more steeply than control participants. Although degree of discounting varies as a function of the commodity examined, discounting of one commodity correlates with discounting of other commodities, which suggests that discounting may be a persistent pattern of behavior1.

Delay discounting refers to a decline in the value of a reward when it is delayed relative to when it is immediately available. We outline a computer-based delay discounting task that is easy to implement and allows for the quantification of the degree of delay discounting in human participants.

Delay discounting refers to a decline in the value of a reward when it is delayed relative to when it is immediately available. Delay discounting tasks ...

Frame-by-Frame Video Analysis of Idiosyncratic Reach-to-Grasp Movements in Humans

Prehension, the act of reaching to grasp an object, is central to the human experience. We use it to feed ourselves, groom ourselves, and manipulate objects and tools in our environment. Such behaviors are impaired by many sensorimotor disorders, yet our current understanding of their neural control is far from complete. Current technologies for investigating human reach-to-grasp movements often utilize motion tracking systems that can be expensive, require the attachment of markers or sensors to the hands, impede natural movement and sensory feedback, and provide kinematic output that can be difficult to interpret. While generally effective for studying the stereotypical reach-to-grasp movements of healthy sighted adults, many of these technologies face additional limitations when attempting to study the unpredictable and idiosyncratic reach-to-grasp movements of young infants, unsighted adults, and patients with neurological disorders. Thus, we present a novel, inexpensive, and highly reliable yet flexible protocol for quantifying the temporal and kinematic structure of idiosyncratic reach-to-grasp movements in humans. High speed video cameras capture multiple views of the reach-to-grasp movement. Frame-by-frame video analysis is then used to document the timing and magnitude of pre-defined behavioral events such as movement start, collection, maximum height, peak aperture, first contact, and final grasp. The temporal structure of the movement is reconstructed by documenting the relative frame number of each event while the kinematic structure of the hand is quantified using the ruler or measure function in photo editing software to calibrate 2 dimensional linear distances between two body parts or between a body part and the target. Frame-by-frame video analysis can provide a quantitative and comprehensive description of idiosyncratic reach-to-grasp movements and will enable researchers to expand their area of investigation to include a greater range of naturalistic prehensile behaviors, guided by a wider variety of sensory modalities, in both healthy and clinical populations.

This protocol describes how to use frame-by-frame video analysis to quantify idiosyncratic reach-to-grasp movements in humans. A comparative analysis of reaching in sighted versus unsighted healthy adults is used to demonstrate the technique, but the method can also be applied to the study of developmental and clinical populations.

Prehension, the act of reaching to grasp an object, is central to the human experience. We use it to feed ourselves, groom ourselves, and manipulate ...

Computerized Adaptive Testing System of Functional Assessment of Stroke

The computerized adaptive testing system of the functional assessment of stroke (CAT-FAS) can simultaneously assess four functions (motor functions of the upper and lower extremities, postural control, and basic activities of daily living) with sufficient reliability and administrative efficiency. CAT, a modern measurement method, aims to provide a reliable estimate of the examinee's level of function rapidly. CAT administers only a few items whose item difficulties match an examinee's level of function and, thus, the administered items of CAT can provide sufficient information to reliably estimate the examinee's level of function in a short time. The CAT-FAS was developed through four steps: (1) determining the item bank, (2) determining the stopping rules, (3) validating the CAT-FAS, and (4) establishing a platform of online administration. The results of this study indicate that the CAT-FAS has sufficient administrative efficiency (average number of items = 8.5) and reliability (group-level Rasch reliability: 0.88 - 0.93; individual-level Rasch reliability: &#8805;70% of patients had Rasch reliability score &#8805;0.90) to simultaneously assess four functions in patients with stroke. In addition, because the CAT-FAS is a computer-based test, the CAT-FAS has three additional advantages: the automatic calculation of scores, the immediate storage of data, and the easy exporting of data. These advantages of the CAT-FAS will be beneficial to data management for clinicians and researchers.

Here, we present a protocol to develop the computerized adaptive testing system of the functional assessment of stroke (CAT-FAS). The CAT-FAS can simultaneously assess four functions (two motor functions [upper and lower extremities], postural control, and basic activities of daily living) with sufficient reliability and administrative efficiency.

The computerized adaptive testing system of the functional assessment of stroke (CAT-FAS) can simultaneously assess four functions (motor functions of the ...

A Task for Assessing the Impact of a Partner on the Speed and Accuracy of Motor Performance in Rats

To our knowledge, no study has examined the effect of mere presence on accuracy of performance in animals. Therefore, we developed an experimental task to measure rats&#8217; motor performance (speed and accuracy) in a social condition. Rats were trained to run on a runway and pull down a lever at the end of the runway. In testing, rats performed the task solitarily (single) or in the presence of a confederate rat beyond the lever (pair or a social condition). As indices of the performance speed, we measured the time needed to start running, run through the runway, and pull down the lever. As the index of performance accuracy, we counted the number of trials in which rats could pull down the lever during their first attempt. One-way and two-way repeated-measure analyses of variance were used to analyze the data. This run-and-pull task enabled us to examine the effect of the presence of another conspecific on both speed and accuracy of motor performance in one experiment. The results showed that rats performed the task faster but less accurately in pair sessions than in single sessions. This protocol would be a valid animal model to examine the effect of mere presence on speed and accuracy of motor performance in rats.

A procedure to measure the speed and accuracy of rats&rsquo; motor performance in a social condition is described. The protocol enables us to investigate the effect of the mere presence of others on speed and accuracy of motor performance in one experiment.

To our knowledge, no study has examined the effect of mere presence on accuracy of performance in animals. Therefore, we developed an experimental task to ...

A System for Tracking the Dynamics of Social Preference Behavior in Small Rodents

Exploring the neurobiological mechanisms of social behavior requires behavioral tests that can be applied to animal models in an unbiased and observer-independent manner. Since the beginning of the millennium, the three-chamber test has been widely used as a standard paradigm to evaluate sociability (social preference) and social novelty preference in small rodents. However, this test suffers from multiple limitations, including its dependence on spatial navigation and negligence of behavioral dynamics. Presented and validated here is a novel experimental system that offers an alternative to the three-chamber test, while also solving some of its caveats. The system requires a simple and affordable experimental apparatus and publicly available open-source analysis system, which automatically measures and analyzes multiple behavioral parameters at individual and population levels. It allows detailed analysis of the behavioral dynamics of small rodents during any social discrimination test. We demonstrate the efficiency of the system in analyzing the dynamics of social behavior during the social preference and social novelty preference tests as performed by adult male mice and rats. Moreover, we validate the ability of the system to reveal modified dynamics of social behavior in rodents following manipulations such as whisker trimming. Thus, the system allows for rigorous investigation of social behavior and dynamics in small rodent models and supports more accurate comparisons between strains, conditions, and treatments.

Described here is a novel automated experimental system that offers an alternative to the three-chamber test and also solves several caveats. This system supplies multiple behavioral parameters that enable rigorous analysis of small rodent behavioral dynamics during the social preference and social novelty preference tests.