Differential effects of rules and contingencies of reinforcement on infant behavior

Abstract

Many researchers associated with the analysis of behavior suggest the hypothesis according to which the behavior of the children is shaped at first by contingencies of reinforcement, then would become governed by rules. The objective of the study is to analyze the differential effect of rules and contingencies of reinforcement on the behavior of four children from 3 to 5 years old. The participants have to carry out tasks of matching and completing pictures according to two programs of reinforcement, one multiple (including rules) and the other mixed (without rules). Each program is followed by phases of extinction. The results show two types of answers: the children whose behavior are under the influence of rules and those who are not.