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Value-directed living and the selection ofbehavioural groups

Dr. med. Rainer F. SonntagFacharzt für Psychiatrie & PsychotherapieFacharzt für Psychotherapeutische Medizin

In der Wüste 18, 57462 Olperaisonn@aol.com

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Functional Contextualism

Talking correctly (how the world is)

Talking usefully (to achieve some goal)

Two Problems

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First Problem

How to talk about remote & abstract consequences

when reinforcement has to be quite immediate in order to work? – Or:

How is delayed gratification (and self-control) possible?

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Second Problem

Behavioral development is a selection process

What are the units of behavioral selection?

How can we usefully construct the development of complex behavior as a selection process?

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Evolutionary Biology

From nucleic acid fragments to complex organisms

Complexity through addition From genes to groups of genes and

complex, integrated phenotypes From individual organisms to highly

organized societies (animal & human)

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The Process

Variability at different levels Selection at different levels Retention at different levels

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Variability of Behavior

Different levels Single movements Skills Behavioral projects extending in time

Question: What is the unit of selection?

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Selection of Behavior: Salient Consequences

Positive reinforcement Favors some behaviors over others

Punishment Favors some behaviors over others

Negative reinforcement Favors some behaviors over others

Extinction Favors some behaviors over others

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Selection as a

unifying principle

?(Jack

Michael, 1975)

Behavioral Units

A primary, single unit is difficult to find

In the end a behavioral unit is pragmatically defined as a response that can be maintained

by a single reinforcer (within a constant context)

E.g. pressing a lever in a Skinner box

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Molecular & Molar Units

A molecular unit is a topographically defined instance of behavior at a specific time in a specific local situation Mary gives Tom a kiss (at a specific

time and place). The rat presses the lever (at a specific

time and place).

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Molecular & Molar Units

A molar unit is defined as functionally abstracted and extended in time and space Mary loves Tom (many instances). The rat works for food (different

ways). The rat presses the lever (as an

ongoing pattern of behavior)

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Behavioral groups

Behavior chains Deliberately constructed

(Remember: our focus on prediction and influence not explanation)

Serial Bound through a common, direct

reinforcer contacted with the last element of the chain

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Behavioral groups

Behavior syndromes Shaped (assumption!; may also be

deliberately constructable but difficult) Serial & parallel

Singing and playing guitar at the same time Looking sad, feeling down, and telling a sad

story at the same time Emotion, „personality styles“ (Anim. Behav.)

Bound through a common, direct reinforcer

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Behavioral groups Behavior skills („syndromic chains?“)

Social skills Problem solving skills Craftsman skills Psychotherapeutic skills

Bound through Short-term consequences (direct

reinforcement) Long-term consequences (rules; indirect

reinforcement) – How does that work?15

Behavioral groups

Chunks What are they „really“?

Simple answer: relational networks Contingency-shaped (?) Deliberately constructed (e.g.

mnemonics) Bound through verbal stimuli (words,

rules)

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How can we construct how remote consequences work?

Groups of verbal stimuli (rules, stories) bind behaviors together and produce further relational responding. i.e. stimulus A is responded to in terms

of its specified relation to stimulus B Contextual cues specify the relational

response (two steps; one step ?) „Would you, please, pick up my son at

the airport?“ (two hours drive) 17

How can we construct how remote consequences work?

Success depends on knowledge and experience of the listener Are the necessary behaviors in the

repertoire What are the existing relations

between verbal stimuli and behaviors (e.g. say-do correspondence)

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How can we construct how remote consequences work? Verbally related verbal stimuli establish

present stimuli as salient consequences Opening the door to leave the house. Going to the car in the garage. Sitting down in the car. Driving by navigating along landmarks. …

A long vchain of vSDs and vSr/ps (v=verbal)

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Framed coordinately

How can we construct how remote consequences work?

Verbally related verbal stimuli establish present stimuli as salient consequences Taking the wrong turn establish

consequentially contacted landmark stimuli as vSr-

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Framed oppositionally

How can we construct how remote consequences work?

Adverbial phrases can additionally determine the temporal and spacial extension of a behavior (e.g. morality beyond schedules of reinforcement) „Every day“, „once in a month“ „Within two weeks“, „tomorrow“ „When you meet him at the airport say

him to call me immediately“21

How can we construct how remote consequences work?

The salience of a verbally constructed present reinforcer depends on Direct experience with relevant primary

reinforcers For example: Why getting a high grade?

Learning was reinforcing Good grades have been socially reinforced

Clinical significance: present moment work and defusion to promote direct experience

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How can we construct how remote consequences work?

The salience of a verbally constructed present reinforcer depends on Skillfulness in deriving relations For example: Learning was reinforcing

Learning is coordinately related to good grades

High grades are comparatively related to good grades

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Binding Behavioral Groups Chaining & shaping of syndromes

a skill through direct experience Contingency adduction

Two fluent skills are combined through a task that needs both to be mastered

Verbal construction & chunking Ongoing commitment („exercise“)

Resulting in an „molar“ pattern, extended in time

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Selection at different levels

Hierarchical or fractal or pragmatic organization of behavior

From the molecular to the molar

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From previous experience groups of behaviors may be flexibly put together: Binding and splitting dynamics of behavioral group formation

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ABCDEFG

„Original“

behavioral

repertoire

Entire behavioral repertoireincluding flexibility

H

L

K

Selectionby salient

consequences

From previous experience groups of behaviors may be flexibly put together: Binding and splitting dynamics of behavioral group formation

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ABCDEFG

„Original“

behavioral

repertoire

Entire behavioral repertoireincluding flexibility

LSelectionby salient

consequences

If a behavior (e.g. E) is more often reinforced as part of a group (e.g. L) than alone flexibility decreases

Values as behavioral groups

Values are freely chosen, verbally constructed consequences of ongoing, dynamic, evolving patterns

of activity, which establish predominant

reinforcers for that activity that are intrinsic in engagement in the valued behavioral pattern itself

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Values as behavioral groups When training value-directed behavior

we have to combine different behaviors Self-as-context, acceptance, and defusion

(to choose freely) Verbal construction (planning) Initiating action (direct stimulus control) Say-do-correspondence

From planning to stimulus control Learning contextually appropriate transfer of

stimulus functions

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Values as behavioral groups

When training value-directed behavior we have to combine different behaviors Present moment

Contacting my own behavior, environmental events, and correlations between both as an ongoing activity in order to further guide my behavior

Commitment Comparing my ongoing behavior with my

verbally construed values 30

Values as behavioral groups

When training value-directed behavior we have to combine different behaviors Using behavioral events (e.g. anxiety,

urges) according to behavioral history as SDs to take perspective, for example, with

respect to short- and long-term consequences and this behavioral group (e.g. urge,

perspective taking, value) as motivative augmental to decrease avoidance-related and increase value-related stimulus functions

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HHHHHH

Summary of my main point

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ABCDEFG

ABCDEFG

HH

LL

KK

Selection

by

conse

quenc

es

molar

Tim

e

t1

t2

Summary of my main point Remote consequences are not necessary

conceptually. Temporally extended, evolving patterns of behavior

are maintained by immediate reinforcement. Every patterns is a behavior group that includes

verbal behaviors (rules) which establish reinforcers for the pattern itself.

The reinforcers may be intrinsic to the engagement in the pattern (as in values) or extrinisic and appear along with the emitted behavior pattern in the environment (as in following a track while navigating through a landscape)

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Thank you!

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Example: I want to be a caring and supporting father.

What groups of behavior does that entail?

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From previous experience groups of behaviors may be flexibly put together: Binding and splitting dynamics of behavioral group formation

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ABCDEFG

„Original“

behavioral

repertoire

Entire behavioral repertoireincluding flexibility

H

L

K

Selectionby salient

consequences

Putting it all together (so far)

Long-term behavioral projects Getting a high grade Building a house

Value-directed living

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This Reminds Me of the Problem of Altruism

Altruism in evolutionary biology:

Given that selection works on individual organisms or genes

How can altruistic behaviors be maintained?

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Answers to the Problem of Altruism

Inclusive fitness (individual selection, i.e. kin-group selection)

Multilevel selection (group selection)

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Behavioral Analogies

Inclusive fitness

Behavioral chains Functional behavioral groups

(classes)

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Behavioral Analogies

Non-kin groups

Functional verbal groups Verbal concepts Sentences texts books „chunks“

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Natural evolutionary selection

Individual selection Multilevel selection

Individual selection within groupsplus (Individual) selection between groups

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Natural evolutionary selection

Multilevel selection Selection between groups is harder and

faster than within groups For example:

A group with 80% altruists fares better than a group with 20% altruists although

Within both groups egoists fare better than altruists

In the end the number of altruists is constant or rising

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Natural evolutionary selection

What is the glue?

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Natural behavioral selection

Molecular selection Individual behaviors in a specific context

(a precise point in time and place) Chain selection

A series of individual behaviors Molar selection

Groups of functionally equivalent behaviors extending over contexts (time & places)

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Natural behavioral selection

What is the glue? Direct reinforcement Biasing behavior-behavior-relations, e.g.

Temporal proximity (e.g. recency effect) Spatial proximity (e.g. contextual

conditioning)

Then a new kind of glue emerges: Arbitrarily applicable relational

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Structure

Population structure Demography, e.g. age, sex, health

status Kinship Non-kin cooperative groups

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Structure

Behavioral structure Frequency Age Topographical similarity Functional groups

Behavioral chains Behavioral hierarchies

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