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

One of the most exciting and controversial issues in the history of behavioral science is emergence of relational behavior. This is, do animals, non-humans, and humans perceive and respond to relational qualities of a stimuli, regardless of the absolute attributes that each one possess? In spite of the cited controversy, there is a strong evidence that supports the emergence of relational behavior in animals and humans.

Different paradigms have been used for the analysis of relational behavior. The most extensively employed has been the transposition task. Relational behavior under the transposition paradigm has been naturally studied in simple choice situations with only two stimulus options.

In which participants are not allowed to display patterns of activity with respect to stimuli. On the other hand, the study of relational behavior in animals is more extensive, systematic, and has a stronger evidence that in humans. The main reason of this is the ceiling effect, frequently observed when the participants are humans.

In this context, a recently challenging task have been proposed based on transposition for the study of relational behavior in humans. In this way, the person work advances from the previous ones and presents RBDT, a paradigm based on the modified transposition task for the continuous analysis of relational behavior in humans. RBDT was assigned to allow the integration and continuous analysis of patterns of activity in the study of relational behavior.

RBDT was programmed in Java. It automatically record responses and presents a graphical representation of data. The program to conduct experimental task will be available for download.

In the experimental task, 15 stimuli subjects, SOs, consisting of different shapes were presented. Five of these SOs were relevant to the completion of the task and ten were irrelevant, as shown in the left part of figure one. Five different shapes where used as relevant stimulus objects.

Pentagon, rectangle, horizontal rhomboid, parallelogram, and figure in V.10 different shapes were used as irrelevant stimulus subjects. Hexagon, triangle, circle, trapezoid, oval, rhombus, square, vertical rhomboid, trapezium, and irregular figure in L.SOs could vary in color saturation or size. In this experiment, as SOs, we employed four different degrees of saturation, black, dark gray, gray, and light gray.

The size trimming constant. SOs were presented in a computer screen divided in three zones as shown in the left part of figure two. In the upper left part of the screen, the sum of sample relational components one and two, SRC one and two was located.

Two different pairs of figures that set as relationship criteria were shown. Each pair exemplified two degrees of saturation's relationship, darker or lighter than with the same shape. In the lower left part of the screen, the sum of comparisons relational compounds one and two, SRC one and two was located.

Two pairs of empty spaces were located in this zone. The participant had to form two new pairs of figures that would fill the exemplify criteria by choosing figures from the bank. On the right side of the screen is a bank zone.

In each trial, the bank contain 18 different figures that acquire different relational properties, depending on the criteria exemplified by the SRC one and two. Six figures made the criteria set by the SRC permutable figures. Six figures were eligible to be used correctly, but under another criteria, non-permutable figure.

And six figures did not meet the criteria set by the SRC, irrelevant figures. To place the figures in the CRC zone, the participant had to select the figure with the mouse pointer and drag it to the blank spaces in the CRC zone. Placement of figures could be in different sequences and they could be changed.

To simplify, some of the possibilities of the experimental arrangements allowed by RBDT, 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 on the restriction of behavioral patterns adding a continuous recording and analysis of dragging an inspection activity with the mouse cursor.

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 and accurate trials.

For figure five to seven, the first upper panel show sequences of placement in the CRCs. Each bar represents a trial. Inside this, its color represents one of four empty spaces of CRCs.

Upper left, red, upper right, green, lower left, gray, lower right, purple. Vertical color variation in each bar indicates sequence of placements in each trial. The height of the bars indicates the use of excessive placements or the use of correction trials.

Two point sequences are shown at the top of the first panel. Blue dots, first sequence represent accurate trials. This is correct trials with four placements and without corrective trials.

Black dots, second sequence represent correct trials. This is correct trials regardless of the number of placements or use of corrective trials. The second, lower panel of the figures shows the type of stimuli chosen in each trial.

Permutable, red, non-permutable, green, and irrelevant, gray. There are several aspects of the figures that are important to notice to account for the differences in relational behavior for each participant. One, uninterrupted sequences of at least three accurate and correct trials are important since they're an indicator of the establishment of relational behavior.

Two, variation in the horizontal colored tiles in the first spaniel. This indicates variety in the placement sequences instead of single color segments that indicate that a participant did not vary the placement sequences from trial to trial, which would be considered a stereotypical patterns. Three, the heights of the bar.

Their increases and decreases. This indicates excessive placement to conform the CRC and the use of corrective trials. Four, predominance of red color in the second panel, which indicates predominance of choosing permutable stimuli.

In figure 13, the dragon figure stroke the cursor blue points, course of movements, stress points, and the cursors are both green points are shown for each participant road experiment two. In both participants, figures serving drag from the bank zone to the CRC zone, and in some cases is to illustrate and test figure dragging is observe inside the CRC zone. In P1, less density of red points is observed.

This is less cursor movement. Furthermore, red points are observed to a greater extent in the CRC and bank zones. Green points are observed only during S1.Later disappears, and then series of red points increases, but not to the same degree as in P2.In participant with restriction of local patterns, P2, red point are observe in the CRC zone.

This indicates that the participant move the cursor within this zone. Even from S3, movements are observed in the CRC zone. In addition to the movements observed in the bank zone, the green points that indicate that the cursor was in repose are observed to a greater extent during S1 and S2.Later disappear almost completely, and the density of red point increases.

The proposed paradigm is especially useful in the framework of approaches that assume. A, an active measure of the attentional and perceptual processes, and B, an integrated and continuing system between the perceiver. This is a active patterns and the environment.

This is the relation between a stimuli. RPDT allows to manipulate four groups of factors related to the arrangement of stimuli and behavioral patterns. These are factor related to the sample relational compounds, factor related to comparison relational compounds, factor related to the bank of stimuli, and factor related to the active behavioral patterns.

These four groups of factors come form an integrated system that can be manipulated and studied in an individual or in integrative manner. The obtain data, data analysis and graphical representations allow to investigate the role of the behavioral patterns, such as inspection and tracking figures, movement sequences, and variety of patterns in the emergence of relational behavior.