Igualación entre Actividades Hechas por y Recibidas de la Pareja / Matching among Activities Done for and Received from the Spouse

Resumen En el presente estudio se investigó si la frecuencia de las actividades hechas por la pareja tiende a igualar la frecuencia de las actividades recibidas del cónyuge; conforme a la ley de igualación. Participaron 120 hombres y 120 mujeres divididos en seis bloques de cinco años de matrimonio cada uno. Se pidió a los participantes que, de una lista de 63 actividades divididas en 9 áreas de interacción marital, indicaran cuáles realizaban por y cuáles recibían de su pareja. Posteriormente, se estimó si la proporción de actividades que los miembros de la pareja reportaron que hacían por su pareja tendía a igualar la proporción de actividades que decían recibir de ella. Los participantes reportaron que la proporción de actividades que hacen por su pareja es similar a la proporción de actividades que reciben de ella. Estos hallazgos sugieren que la relación entre las actividades del matrimonio y los reforzadores que mantienen unida a una pareja puede explicarse cuantitativamente con la ley de igualación; esto es, en términos de la relación entre los patrones de conducta que los miembros de la pareja hacen por y reciben de su pareja.

Abstract In the present study, it was explored if the frequency of the activities done for the spouse tends to match the frequency of the activities received from the partner, according to the matching law. Participants were 120 men and 120 women divided into six blocks of five years of marriage each one; that is, from 1 to 5, 6 to 10, 11 to 15, 16 to 20, 21 to 25, and more than 26 years of marriage. They were asked to choose, from a list of 63 activities divided into 9 areas of marital interaction (household responsibilities, raising children, social activities, finance, communication, sexual interaction, occupational or academic progress, personal independence, and spouse independence), which activities they performed for their partner and which ones they received from them. Based on the importance scores reported in a previous study, the proportion of the reinforcing value of the 63 marital activities was calculated. Subsequently, it was estimated whether the proportion of activities done for the spouse tends to equate the proportion of activities received from the partner. It was found that the proportion of activities the participants do for their partners is similar to the proportion of activities they received from them. Linear regressions were calculated for each block of years of marriage with the proportion of activities done predicted by the proportion of activities received. With these regressions, the deviation of the matching between the proportions was estimated. Slopes greater than 1.0 would show that participants reported to do more activities than they reported to receive; slopes lower than 1.0 would show that participants did fewer activities than those received; and if the value is close to 0.5 it would indicate indifference; that is, participants would do the same number of activities, regardless of those received from their partner. It was found that for men the slope varied between 0.71 and 1.02, and for women the slope varied between 0.908 and 1.035. These findings suggest that the relationship between marital activities and the reinforcers that hold a couple together can be explained quantitatively by the matching law; this is, by the correlation between the activities done for and receive from the spouse.

Efeito de reforçadores condicionados específicos em classes ordinais em humanos / Effect of conditioned reinforcers specific in ordinal classes in humans / Efecto de los refuerzos condicionados específicos en clases ordinales en humanos

A explicação segundo a qual classes de equivalência são formadas por contingências de reforço, tem como implicação que respostas e estímulos reforçadores também seriam incluídos entre seus membros. Suporte empírico a essa tese vem de experimentos utilizando reforçadores específicos para cada classe potencial, tanto em contexto de discriminação condicional, quanto de discriminação simples, neste último caso em combinação com reversões sistemáticas, em que as funções S+ e S- dos estímulos discriminativos são constantemente invertidas. Em ambos os casos, testes apropriados evidenciaram a inclusão dos estímulos reforçadores como membros das classes de equivalência. Esses resultados permitem supor que estímulos reforçadores também participariam de classes ordinais. Estas são definidas pelas propriedades: assimetria, irreflexividade, transitividade, substituibilidade e conectividade. De caráter preliminar, o presente estudo testou uma estratégia experimental como um primeiro passo para uma investigação sobre a inclusão de estímulos reforçadores como membros de classes ordinais. Seu objetivo foi investigar o efeito de reforçadores condicionados específicos na formação de classes ordinais. Na presença de um estímulo condicional, seis universitários deviam sequenciar formas não representacionais numa determinada ordem, ao que seguia-se a apresentação de um trecho musical. Na presença de outro estímulo condicional, os mesmos estímulos deviam ser sequenciados na ordem inversa, produzindo outro trecho musical. Testes evidenciaram que além da emergência das propriedades definidoras de classes ordinais, os trechos musicais intercambiaram sua função reforçadora aos estímulos condicionais. Sendo a estratégia experimental eficaz nesse sentido, o próximo passo será verificar sua eficácia para promover a inclusão de reforçadores como membros de classes sequenciais.

The explanation according to which equivalence classes are formed by contingencies of reinforcement, has the implication that responses and reinforcer stimuli would also be included among its members. Empirical support for this theory comes from experiments using specific reinforcers to each potential class, both in the context of conditional discrimination as in the simple discrimination context, in the latter case in combination with systematic reversals, in which S+ and S- functions of the discriminative stimuli are constantly reversed. In the two cases, appropriated tests showed the inclusion of reinforcer stimuli as members of the equivalence classes. These results encourage hypothesize that reinforcer stimuli also participate in ordinal classes, which are defined by the properties: asymmetry, inflexibility, transitivity, substitutability and connectedness. Preliminary, this study tested an experimental strategy as a first step toward an investigation on the inclusion of reinforcing stimuli as members of sequential classes. Its aim was to investigate the effect of specific conditioned reinforcers in the formation of ordinal classes. In the presence of one conditional stimulus, six university students had to make sequences of abstract pictures in a determined order that were followed by the presentation of one musical passage. In the presence of another conditional stimulus, the same stimuli had to be sequenced in the reverse order, producing another musical excerpt. Tests showed that in addition to the emergence of defining properties of ordinal classes, the musical excerpts exchanged their reinforcing function for the conditional stimulus function.

La explicación según la cual clases de equivalencia son formadas por las contingencias de refuerzo, tiene como implicación que respuestas y estímulos reforzadores también serían incluídos entre sus membros. Soporte empírico para esa tesis viene de experimentos utilizando reforzadores específicos para cada clase potencial, tanto en contexto de discriminación condicional, cuánto de discriminación simple, en este último caso en combinación con reversones sistemáticas, en que las funciones S+ e S- de los estímulos discriminativos son constantemente invertidas. En ambos los casos, testes apropiados evidenciaron la inclusión de los estímulos reforzadores como miembros de las clases de equivalencia. Éses resultados permiten suponer que estímulos reforzadores también participarían de clases secuenciales. Éstas son definidas por las propiedades: irreflexividad, asimetría, transitividad, conectividad y substitubilidad. De carácter preliminar, el presente estudio, examinó una estrategia experimental como uno primero paso para una investigación sobre la inclusión de estímulos reforzadores como miembros de clases secuenciales. Su objetivo fue investigar el efecto de reforzadores condicionados específicos en la formación de clases ordinales. En la presencia de uno estímulo condicional, seis universitarios debían secuenciar figuras abstractas en una determinada orden, lo que seguia-se la apresentación de una pasaje musical. En la presencia de otro estímulo condicional, los mismos estímulos debían ser secuenciados, en la orden inversa, producindo otra pasaje musical. Testes evidenciaron que más adelante da emergencia de las propiedades definidoras de clases secuenciales, los pasajes musicales intercambiaron su función reforzadora para la de estímulos condicionales.

El Amaranto como Fuente de Reforzamiento: Un Estudio con Roedores / Amaranth as Reinforcement Source: A Rodent Study

Resumen: El presente estudio evalúa el amaranto como una alternativa a los reforzadores que se utilizan en la actualidad en los laboratorios experimentales con roedores. Se compararon diversos elementos como la preferencia de consumo, la motivación y el valor reforzante entre tres tipos de alimentos (dos tipos de pellets y amaranto) mediante cuatro experimentos con laberinto radial y consumo libre en 11 ratas de la cepa Wistar. Los resultados muestran que el amaranto tiene un alto valor reforzante ya que, se observó preferencia por su consumo comparado con los demás alimentos. Se propone al amaranto como una buena alternativa para usarse como reforzador con varias ventajas como la preferencia de consumo, su valor reforzante, su fácil accesibilidad en el país y que es más económico que los pellets importados.

Abstract: This study evaluates amaranth as an alternative to reinforcers which are currently used in experimental laboratories with rodents. We compared some elements such as consumer preference, motivation and reinforcing value of three types of food (two types of pellets and amaranth) through four experiments with free radial maze and free consumption in 11 Wistar rats. The results show that amaranth has a high reinforcing value. Also, there was a preference for amaranth consumption compared with the other two reinforcers. Amaranth is proposed as a good alternative for use as a reinforcer with several advantages such as consumer preference, its reinforcing value, accessibility in the country and that it is cheaper than the usual pellets.

Respuestas de frustración en humanos / Frustration response in humans

La frustración es un estado emocional que se desencadena ante acontecimientos que involucran la reducción o supresión inesperada de reforzadores apetitivos. En este artículo se presentan una serie de trabajos realizados con humanos en los cuales se omiten, devalúan o interrumpen refuerzos alimenticios, monetarios, sociales y juegos de entretenimientos. La mayoría de los resultados experimentales son análogos a los hallados con animales no humanos, aunque agregan información sobre reacciones específicamente humanas, tales como los informes verbales, las expresiones faciales y cómo se regula mediante los estilos atribucionales y la personalidad. Finalmente se discute si la frustración puede o no enmarcarse dentro de las emociones básicas.

Frustration is an emotional state elicitated by the unexpected reduction or suppression of appetitive reinforcers. In this article studies of frustration with humans are presented, in which food, monetary, social reinforcers and entertainment games are either omitted, devaluated or interrupted. The majority of the experimental results are analogous to the results founded with non-human subjects, though they add information about human reactions such as verbal reports, facial expressions, and how these responses are regulated by the contribution of attribution styles and personality. Finally, the possibility of categorizing frustration as one of the basic emotions is also discussed.