Making sense of sensitivity in the human operant literature

Human operant behavior is often said to be controlled by different variables or governed by different processes than nonhuman operant behavior. Support for this claim within the operant literature comes from data suggesting that human behavior is often insensitive to schedules of reinforcement to which nonhuman behavior has been sensitive. The data that evoke the use of the terms sensitivity and insensitivity, however, result from both between-species and within-subject comparisons. We argue that because sensitivity is synonymous with experimental control, conclusions about sensitivity are best demonstrated through within-subject comparisons. Further, we argue that even when sensitivity is assessed using within-subject comparisons of performance on different schedules of reinforcement, procedural differences between studies of different species may affect schedule performance in important ways. We extend this argument to age differences as well. We conclude that differences across populations are an occasion for more precise experimental analyses and that it is premature to conclude that human behavior is controlled by different processes than nonhuman behavior.     

Marital interaction, family organization, and differences in parenting behavior: explaining variations across family interaction contexts.

Family systems theories remind us that, in two-parent families, children encounter their parents in multiple family configurations, including parent-child dyads and mother-father-child triads, or whole families. There are, however, relatively few empirical investigations of differences in parenting behavior which tend to emerge when a dyad is transformed into a whole family unit. Using a sample of 82 families with a kindergarten-age child, the present study offers support to earlier studies reporting that mothers' and fathers' parenting behavior differs when observed in dyadic and whole family interaction sessions. The present study then turns to examining explanations for these differences in parenting behavior. Limited support was found for the hypothesis that observations of marital interaction are associated with differences in parenting behavior across family interaction contexts. Family level assessment of adaptive organization was found to explain differences in fathers' parenting in the dyad and when the entire family is together, but not differences in mothers' parenting behavior. The clinical and methodological implications of these findings are discussed.     

Evolution of behavior and the comparative method

The comparative method, that is, the discrimination of similarities and differences in the physical and social aspects of the environment, requires the concept of levels of integration and organization to be useful in the study of the evolution and development of behavior. Comparative studies based on the quasi-scientific theories of the inheritance of behavior and the predominance of genetic processes as causal in evolution and development of all species, including people, — Lorenzian ethology, Wilsonian sociobiology —overlook significant differences among species and reduce quantitative and qualitative differences in behavior to a unitary causal mechanism, which is not sufficient to explain complex behavior. Further, such theories oversimplify genetic processes and their relation to behavior. The comparative method is applicable and useful when the questions to be answered are based on stated assumptions which are testable and when the levels of the phenomena being compared are equivalent.     

Theory and technology in behavior analysis

The differences within behaviorism in general and behavior analysis in particular have been described in many ways. Some of the more common distinctions are "basic versus applied", "clinical versus non-clinical", "behavior therapy versus behavior analysis", and "experimental analysis of behavior versus applied behavior analysis". These and other such distinctions do not seem to refer to truely important differences, or refer to important differences in confusing ways. It is suggested that there are two main dimensions which divide behaviorists into meaningful units: the type of paradigm (behavior analysis versus methodological behaviorism) and the level of analysis (technical, methodological, conceptual, or philosophical). By considering these two dimensions a number of issues in the field are recast. In particular, many of the differences within behavior analysis are recast into questions of the relationship between theory and technology.     

小学生攻击性行为的心理分析及对策研究

本研究采用同伴提名法对宁波市560名小学生进行调查,探讨了小学生攻击行为的类型特点及其年级差异,结果发现：（1）小学生言语攻击的比率最高,其次是直接身体攻击,间接攻击的发生率最低。（2）小学生三类攻击行为的比例均存在显著的年级差异。（3）小学生各年级之间既有存在显著性差异,也有不存在显著性差异。同时,本研究进一步分析了小学生攻击性行为产生的原因及其教育干预的对策。     

An interactionist interpretation of sex differences in violence

An interactionist analysis of violence processes is used as a framework to account for sex differences in parameters of violent behavior. Starting with the observation that violence is often an outcome of negotiations of situated identity, sex differences in the extent of violence and the selection of victim are interpreted. In addition, the symmetry of social relationships specifies the processes generating interpersonal violence. The paper argues that interactionist concepts can be used to make theoretical sense of differences in rates of behavior. Strictly structural explanations are thereby informed by an understanding of the processual character of social interaction.     

Individual differences and cross-situational consistency of dyadic social behavior

A new theoretical analysis of individual differences and cross-situational consistency of behavior is proposed. The authors hypothesized that the social behavior of mice (Mus musculus) is determined by individual differences among animals in behavior emitted (i.e., actor effects), in behavior elicited from social partners (partner effects), and by unique responses of one animal to another (relationship effects). Each effect represents a distinct facet of individual differences with different psychological meaning; likewise, the cross-situational consistency of each effect has a distinct psychological meaning. Individual differences in behavior emitted were observed, and these actor effects were consistent longitudinally. Individual differences in behavior elicited from social partners were observed, and these partner effects were also consistent longitudinally. Unique responses to specific social partners also determined behavior but were inconsistent longitudinally. The theoretical importance of reconceptualizing the concepts of individual differences and cross-situational consistency in behavior is discussed. ((c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved).     

Felt obligations to reciprocate to an employer,preferences for mobility across employers,and gender: Three-way interaction effects on subsequent voice behavior

Previous research suggests that employees engage in voice behavior to reciprocate for the positive treatment they receive from employers, but less is known about individual differences in employees' willingness to engage in voice behavior to that end. The present study proposes that felt obligations to the organization relate more strongly to voice behavior when employees also have stronger preferences for job stability (rather than job mobility). We also propose that this two-way interaction will be further moderated by gender; specifically, males who feel strong obligations to reciprocate and have strong preferences for job stability are especially likely to engage in voice behavior. Data collected from 209 employees over an 8-month period support both the proposed two-way and three-way interaction effects. Thus, while the norm of reciprocity is widely held, the effects of felt obligations to employers on voice behavior also depend upon both gender differences and individual differences in preferences for job stability.     

Preferences versus strategies as explanations for culture-specific behavior

In this article, we present a new framework for interpreting cultural differences in behavior -- what we call the institutional approach. In this framework, individuals' behaviors are conceptualized as strategies adapted to various incentive structures. Cultural differences in behavior are thus viewed as differences in the default adaptive strategies that individuals come to rely on in unclear situations. Through two studies, we demonstrate that the East Asian "preference" for conformity is actually a default strategy to avoid accrual of negative reputation. When the possibility for negative evaluations in a given situation was clearly defined, cultural differences in the tendency for uniqueness disappeared. This approach carries important implications to psychologists who interpret cultural differences in behavior in terms of preferences, and can serve as a common framework branching out toward other disciplines in the social sciences.     

A multidimensional approach to explore cross-cultural differences in coping behavior: comparing Druze and Jews in Israel

Assuming that culture is a multidimensional variable, the current study explored the possibility that the interactions between ethnicity and other culture-related variables--rather than ethnicity alone--will better describe differences in coping behavior. In the study, cross-cultural differences among Israeli Jews and Israeli Druze in the use of various ways of coping were examined while also taking into account respondents' gender, age, self-esteem, sense of coherence, national identification, and religiosity. Comparing Israeli Jews and Israeli Druze, results indicate significant differences in levels of religiosity and coherence. Referring to coping behavior, findings show that differences in ways of coping could be attributed mainly to gender differences rather than ethnic differences Thus, at least in the case of comparing Israeli Jews vs. Israeli Druze, religiosity and gender are powerful determinants of coping behavior, while ethnicity has only a limited contribution in explaining variance in a preferred way of coping. It is suggested that ethnicity has a moderating role in shaping coping behavior, as it might influence person's self-perception and level of emotionality, which in turn shape the person's ways of coping. Future explorations among various age and ethnic groups are needed to enable generalization of the current study findings.     

儿童侵犯性性别差异的社会认知技能视角

影响侵犯性性别差异的因素众多,本研究认为的社会认知技能的性别差异与侵犯性性别差异有密切关系,认知技能是风险因素和行为之间的调节者。女性相比于男性侵犯性行为少与女性神经机制的发展缺陷概率小,生理成熟早,最终发展形成较男性更好的社会认知技能有密切关系。     

Parental criticism and externalizing behavior problems in adolescents: the role of environment and genotype-environment correlation

Genetic factors are important for the association between parental negativity and child problem behavior, but it is not clear whether this is due to passive or evocative genotype-environment correlation (rGE). In this study, we applied the extended children-of-twins model to directly examine the presence of passive and evocative rGE as well as direct environmental effects in the association between parental criticism and adolescent externalizing problem behavior. The cross-sectional data come from the Twin and Offspring Study in Sweden (N = 909 pairs of adult twins) and from the Twin Study of Child and Adolescent Development (N = 915 pairs of twin children). The results revealed that maternal criticism was primarily due to evocative rGE emanating from their adolescent's externalizing behavior. On the other hand, fathers' critical remarks tended to affect adolescent problem behavior in a direct environmental way. This suggests that previously reported differences in caretaking between mothers and fathers also are reflected in differences in why parenting is associated with externalizing behavior in offspring.     

Experimental analysis of individual differences and personality

In psychological studies individual differences that result in variability in data and thus mask the effects under investigation have been reduced or eliminated in two ways: (1) through the use of large numbers of subjects and statistical manipulations, or (2) through extensive and controlled studies of individual subjects. The latter, behavior-analytic, method is scientifically better because it permits identification of the variables that result in individual differences. This paper advocates the direct study of individual differences and personality rather than indirect study through experimental control procedures. Some data are presented showing that individual differences in response patterns have orderly characteristics. Extension of the experimental analysis of behavior to the study of individual differences and personality is likely to be important both scientifically and for the future growth of behavior analysis.     

Effect of anosmia on the behavior of standard non-aggressive male mice opponents during agonistic encounters

This study assessed whether the differences observed in a previous experiment [Martinez M, Salvador A, Simon VM (1994): Aggressive Behavior 20:441–451] in the behavior of isolated male mice over several agonistic encounters in which they confronted either an “anosmic” or an “intact” non-aggressive “standard opponent” were due to the differences in the behavior of the opponents themselves. Ethologically-inspired analysis was used to assess the behavior of the opponents during the first agonistic encounter. Anosmic opponents spent less time in social investigation and defense and more time in immobility than intact ones. These results suggest that the differences in the behavior of the opponents could be one of the causes of the differences observed in the behavior of the aggressive males confronting them. However, more research is needed to study if other variables, such as the production of odors, are also affected by the state (deprived or intact) of the olfactory sense. These findings provide additional support for the view that the type of opponent used in studies on intermale aggression is of paramount importance.Aggr. Behav. 23:179–181, 1997.© 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Gender and suicide in the elderly.

Gender is one of the most important predictors of suicide in the elderly. In North America, older women are less likely to be suicidal than older men. So far, suicidologists have either ignored gender differences or have focused on the presumed causes of older men's suicidal behavior. In this paper, the focus is on older women's low rates of suicidal mortality. On the basis of a review of the literature, several hypotheses are suggested. One is that gender differences in suicide mortality reflect differences in coping. Another hypothesis is that gender differences are influenced by gender norms of suicidal behavior. Directions for prevention are proposed.     

Three-mode factor analytic reference curves for concept identification

Tucker's three-mode common factor analysis is used to explore the intrinsic individual differences in a figural, disjunctive conceptual behavior task. The results reveal differential shifts in the structure of the individual differences during concept identification. Individual patterns can be described by five factors, each of which specifies the parameter vales for the shape of the individual performance functions. A three-way core further identifies the nature of the individual differences factors. These results indicate that averaged curves for the separate response measures would not have adequately reflected the individual data in this sample. The present findings are consistent with earlier work and suggest that a better approach to the study of complex human behavior is to identify the individual differences intrinsic to the situation before mapping antecedent influences on the dimensionality of the behavior.     

The role of cultural orientation in bargaining under incomplete information: Differences in causal attributions

This research examines how differences in cultural orientation influence causal attributions and thus the behavioral outcomes in an incomplete information bargaining situation. Using ultimatum bargaining, three experiments demonstrate that acceptance rates differ across Western and East Asian cultures because of the differences in implicit theories of behavior. The results of Experiment 1 shows that East Asians are more sensitive to both external constraints and group influences but only when there is information about the opponent’s situation to discount personality traits. Experiment 2 shows that reasons for an opponent’s behavior mediate the influence of cultural orientation on bargaining outcomes when situational constraints are made salient. Experiment 3 shows that reasons for an opponent’s behavior based on the saliency of a group context mediate the influence of cultural orientation on behavior. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of the findings and suggesting directions for future research.     

Premarital sex: attitudes and behavior by dating stage

Using data gathered from a sixty-three item dating and mate-selection questionnaire completed by two hundred and eighty student and nonstudent respondents, this study investigates the differences between what people believe is proper premarital sexual behavior, what they do and what they think others are doing at five stages of dating. It was found that persons are most restrictive in what they believe is proper conduct, more permissive in their reported behavior, and most permissive in their perception of what others are doing. During the early stages of dating, males and females differ widely in their outlook as to what is proper behavior and also in their reported behavior. Other studies which failed to take dating stage into consideration may have missed important gender differences in the early period of dating.     

Another psychobiological view of sexual differentiation

The major psychobiological theory of sex differences is based on the hypothesis that hormones induce sex differences in neural organization. Hormonally masculinized or feminized brains are thought to underlie subsequent behavioral sex differences. This theory and the constructs, arguments, and evidence used in its support are closely examined. Some conceptual problems with widely used arguments are identified and discussed. Behavioral, physiological, and anatomical evidence from studies of animal sexual behavior is reviewed. It is concluded that the evidence fails to support generally accepted views that early hormones affect behavior through direct effects on brain differentiation and that behavioral differences must be located in the brain. It is argued instead that hormones coact and interact with other factors throughout development, that brain differences may result from as well as cause functional differences, and that hormone-based sources of sex differences may be located throughout the body and in the social surround. Directions for new research are suggested and implications for interpretation of human sex differences are discussed.     

Self-concept and perception of early mother and father behavior in normal and antisocial adolescents

This study examines the self-concept and perceptions of early parental behavior in a group of 277 normal adolescents with respect to differences in age (12-18 years) and gender. A group of 30 antisocial adolescents of similar age (13-19 years) were included as a comparison group. The study was a cross-sectional questionnaire study and the Swedish translation of the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB) introject and mother/father questionnaires were used as measures of self- and parental concepts. Multivariate analyses of variance show that the normal adolescent self-concept and perception of early parental behavior are positive and that there are no age or gender differences. The early behavior of the mother is perceived more positively than that of the father. A positive self-concept is related to a positive perception of the parent's early behavior. The antisocial group of adolescents shows a more autonomous and negative self-concept and more negative perception of early parental behaviors. This was true especially in the group of antisocial girls. The conclusion from the study is that there is no evidence of a chaotic self-concept or tumultuous changes in the perceptions of early parental behavior during normal adolescence, but that an antisocial way of life might be reflected in a more negative and autonomous self-concept and in more negative perceptions of early parental behavior during adolescence.