Further evaluation of antecedent interventions on compliance: the effects of rationales to increase compliance among preschoolers

Functional analyses were conducted to identify reinforcers for noncompliance exhibited by 6 young children. Next, the effects of rationales (statements that describe why a child should comply with a caregiver-delivered instruction) were evaluated. In Experiment 1, 3 participants received the rationales immediately after the therapist's instruction. In Experiment 2, 3 additional participants received more practical rationales immediately before the therapist's instruction. The results indicate that rationales were ineffective for all 6 children. A guided compliance procedure increased compliance for 1 child; contingent access to preferred items with or without response cost increased compliance for the other participants. Although levels of problem behavior varied within and across participants, they were often higher in the rationale and guided compliance conditions.     

Some effects of noncontingent positive reinforcement on multiply controlled problem behavior and compliance in a demand context

Functional analysis suggested that the problem behavior of an 8-year-old girl with autism was maintained by escape from demands and access to edible items. Noncontingent delivery of an edible item was sufficient to increase compliance and reduce the rate of problem behavior without the use of escape extinction in a demand context. Leaner and richer schedules of noncontingent reinforcement were equally effective, and there were minimal differences between noncontingent reinforcement and differential reinforcement of compliance.     

Conditioned taste aversion is enhanced when the unconditioned stimulus is presented in a different context

Using a conditioned taste aversion procedure with rats as the subjects, two experiments examined the effect of presenting a conditioned stimulus (CS saccharin solution) in one context followed by an unconditioned stimulus (US LiCl) in a different context. Experiment 1 showed that animals which received the above-mentioned procedure (Group D) showed a more marked conditioned aversion to the CS than animals which were given both the CS and the US in the same context (Group S). Experiment 2 found that in both Group D and Group S, aversion to the CS increased when the subjects were exposed to the conditioned context after the conditioning. These findings supported the argument that the strength of the CS-US association acquired during conditioning is compared with that of the context-US to determine the magnitude of aversion revealed to the CS.     

条件性的关联学习和消退过程的性别差异

采用事件相关电位技术和条件性关联学习模型相结合的方法, 考察在负性背景下男女性对一般事件的关联学习和消退是否存在差异。结果表明：在关联学习阶段, 男性较女性表现出P2潜伏期缩短和N2波幅增大, 而女性比男性表现出更大的P3波幅。在消退阶段, 女性较男性出现更小的P2波幅和更大的P3/LPP波幅。这说明女性可能慢于男性探索到条件刺激和非条件刺激之间的关联, 并且保持时间更久; 男性在相对早期对消退产生更大的反应, 女性则在相对晚期对消退投入更多的资源及努力。     

情景变换诱发已消退恐惧记忆重现的神经环路

暴露疗法是治疗创伤后应激障碍的主要行为疗法。当被试反复暴露于可引起恐惧反应的条件刺激(如白噪音), 但却不伴有非条件刺激(如足底电击)时, 恐惧记忆将被消退, 形成消退记忆。但恐惧记忆并未从根本上被擦除, 当被试在消退训练以外的情景暴露于条件刺激时, 已消退的恐惧记忆将会重现。海马、内侧前额叶皮层、杏仁核等脑区及其相互连接的神经环路是情景诱发恐惧记忆重现的生理基础。情景变化诱发恐惧记忆重现过程中, 海马可能是通过直接投射至杏仁核基底核、杏仁核外侧核或通过边缘前皮质间接调控杏仁核基底核、杏仁核外侧核的功能, 产生恐惧反应。     

Resurgence and alternative‐reinforcer magnitude

Resurgence is defined as an increase in the frequency of a previously reinforced target response when an alternative source of reinforcement is suspended. Despite an extensive body of research examining factors that affect resurgence, the effects of alternative‐reinforcer magnitude have not been examined. Thus, the present experiments aimed to fill this gap in the literature. In Experiment 1, rats pressed levers for single‐pellet reinforcers during Phase 1. In Phase 2, target‐lever pressing was extinguished, and alternative‐lever pressing produced either five‐pellet, one‐pellet, or no alternative reinforcement. In Phase 3, alternative reinforcement was suspended to test for resurgence. Five‐pellet alternative reinforcement produced faster elimination and greater resurgence of target‐lever pressing than one‐pellet alternative reinforcement. In Experiment 2, effects of decreasing alternative‐reinforcer magnitude on resurgence were examined. Rats pressed levers and pulled chains for six‐pellet reinforcers during Phases 1 and 2, respectively. In Phase 3, alternative reinforcement was decreased to three pellets for one group, one pellet for a second group, and suspended altogether for a third group. Shifting from six‐pellet to one‐pellet alternative reinforcement produced as much resurgence as suspending alternative reinforcement altogether, while shifting from six pellets to three pellets did not produce resurgence. These results suggest that alternative‐reinforcer magnitude has effects on elimination and resurgence of target behavior that are similar to those of alternative‐reinforcer rate. Thus, both suppression of target behavior during alternative reinforcement and resurgence when conditions of alternative reinforcement are altered may be related to variables that affect the value of the alternative‐reinforcement source.     

Endangering humanity: an international crime?

Abstract

In the Anthropocene, human beings are capable of bringing about globally catastrophic outcomes that could damage conditions for present and future human life on Earth in unprecedented ways. This paper argues that the scale and severity of these dangers justifies a new international criminal offence of ‘postericide’ that would protect present and future people against wrongfully created dangers of near extinction. Postericide is committed by intentional or reckless systematic conduct that is fit to bring about near human extinction. The paper argues that a proper understanding of the moral imperatives embodied in international criminal law shows that it ought to be expanded to incorporate a new law of postericide.     

Providing an escape option reduces retaliatory aggression

The purpose of this study was to examine whether providing an explicit means to escape future attacks by a provocative fictitious participant reduces retaliatory aggression. Using a laboratory measure of aggression (the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm), 25 participants were given the opportunity to earn points with monetary value on a fixed ratio (FR) 100 schedule, and to subtract points from a fictitious participant on an FR 10 schedule. Aggressive responding was defined as the number of point subtraction responses by the participant. Aggressive responding also produced intervals free from further attack by the fictitious participant. Provocation was manipulated by having the fictitious person subtract points from the participant. Each participant next completed the same task with an explicit FR 10 escape response option added. The escape option produced intervals free from attack identical to the aggressive option, but without taking points away from the fictitious participant. Results indicate that the availability of an escape response attenuated aggressive behavior in response to provocation. Aggr. Behav. 00:000–000, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.