Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Behavior Analyst logoLink to The Behavior Analyst
. 1994 Fall;17(2):241–259. doi: 10.1007/BF03392674

Functions of the environment in behavioral evolution

Sigrid S Glenn, Douglas P Field
PMCID: PMC2733473  PMID: 22478191

Abstract

This paper explores some of the ways in which the environment functions with respect to behavior within an explanatory framework analogous to that of evolutionary biology. In both the behavioral and organic domains, the environment functions differently with respect to individual occurrences and evolutionary units. Within the behavioral domain, the problem of accounting for an occurrence of an operant instance differs from that of accounting for the existence of the operant unit of which the instance is a part. Maintaining these distinctions in levels of analysis within the behavioral domain, we focus first on operant units and operant instances as products of evolutionary processes occurring in the behavioral domain and second upon the causal role of the environment with respect to the existence of operant units and the occurrence of operant instances. The environment's function is selective with respect to origin, maintenance, suppression, and extinction of behavioral populations. At the level of operant instances, the environment has instantiating functions—evocative or alterative. Evocative functions are exemplified by discriminative relations, and alterative functions include both conditional and motivative relations. Implications are considered regarding extension of the analogy to more complex behavior—environment relations.

Keywords: evolutionary analogy, behavioral selection, behavior stream, operant unit, behavioral instance, instantiating function

Full text

PDF
243

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alessi G. Models of proximate and ultimate causation in psychology. Am Psychol. 1992 Nov;47(11):1359–1370. doi: 10.1037//0003-066x.47.11.1359. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Baum W. M. Quantitative prediction and molar description of the environment. Behav Anal. 1989 Fall;12(2):167–176. doi: 10.1007/BF03392493. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Baum W. M. The correlation-based law of effect. J Exp Anal Behav. 1973 Jul;20(1):137–153. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1973.20-137. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Blakely E., Schlinger H. Rules: Function-altering contingency-specifying stimuli. Behav Anal. 1987 Fall;10(2):183–187. doi: 10.1007/BF03392428. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Brown P. L., Jenkins H. M. Auto-shaping of the pigeon's key-peck. J Exp Anal Behav. 1968 Jan;11(1):1–8. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1968.11-1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Etzel B. C., LeBlanc J. M. The simplest treatment alternative: the law of parsimony applied to choosing appropriate instructional control and errorless-learning procedures for the difficult-to-teach child. J Autism Dev Disord. 1979 Dec;9(4):361–382. doi: 10.1007/BF01531445. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. HERRNSTEIN R. J. Relative and absolute strength of response as a function of frequency of reinforcement. J Exp Anal Behav. 1961 Jul;4:267–272. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1961.4-267. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hineline P. N. A self-interpretive behavior analysis. Am Psychol. 1992 Nov;47(11):1274–1286. doi: 10.1037//0003-066x.47.11.1274. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hineline P. N. Aversive control: A separate domain? J Exp Anal Behav. 1984 Nov;42(3):495–509. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1984.42-495. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Machado A. Behavioral variability and frequency-dependent selection. J Exp Anal Behav. 1992 Sep;58(2):241–263. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1992.58-241. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Marcucella H. Stimulus control of respondent and operant key pecking: A single key procedure. J Exp Anal Behav. 1981 Jul;36(1):51–60. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1981.36-51. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Martens B. K., Houk J. L. The application of Herrnstein's law of effect to disruptive and on-task behavior of a retarded adolescent girl. J Exp Anal Behav. 1989 Jan;51(1):17–27. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1989.51-17. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. McDowell J. J. Matching theory in natural human environments. Behav Anal. 1988 Fall;11(2):95–109. doi: 10.1007/BF03392462. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. McDowell J. J. The importance of Herrnstein's mathematical statement of the law of effect for behavior therapy. Am Psychol. 1982 Jul;37(7):771–779. doi: 10.1037//0003-066x.37.7.771. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Michael J. Distinguishing between discriminative and motivational functions of stimuli. J Exp Anal Behav. 1982 Jan;37(1):149–155. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1982.37-149. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Michael J. Establishing operations. Behav Anal. 1993 Fall;16(2):191–206. doi: 10.1007/BF03392623. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1986.46-105. [DOI] [PMC free article] [Google Scholar]
  18. Palmer D. C., Donahoe J. W. Essentialism and selectionism in cognitive science and behavior analysis. Am Psychol. 1992 Nov;47(11):1344–1358. doi: 10.1037//0003-066x.47.11.1344. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Parrish J. M., Cataldo M. F., Kolko D. J., Neef N. A., Egel A. L. Experimental analysis of response covariation among compliant and inappropriate behaviors. J Appl Behav Anal. 1986 Fall;19(3):241–254. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1986.19-241. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Robinson J. K., Woodward W. R. The convergence of behavioral biology and operant psychology: Toward an interlevel and interfield science. Behav Anal. 1989 Fall;12(2):131–141. doi: 10.1007/BF03392490. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Schlinger H., Blakely E. Function-altering effects of contingency-specifying stimuli. Behav Anal. 1987 Spring;10(1):41–45. doi: 10.1007/BF03392405. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Sidman M. Reading and auditory-visual equivalences. J Speech Hear Res. 1971 Mar;14(1):5–13. doi: 10.1044/jshr.1401.05. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Sidman M., Wynne C. K., Maguire R. W., Barnes T. Functional classes and equivalence relations. J Exp Anal Behav. 1989 Nov;52(3):261–274. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1989.52-261. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Skinner B. F. Selection by consequences. Science. 1981 Jul 31;213(4507):501–504. doi: 10.1126/science.7244649. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Skinner B. F. The evolution of behavior. J Exp Anal Behav. 1984 Mar;41(2):217–221. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1984.41-217. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Skinner B. F. The evolution of verbal behavior. J Exp Anal Behav. 1986 Jan;45(1):115–122. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1986.45-115. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Spradlin J. E., Cotter V. W., Baxley N. Establishing a conditional discrimination without direct training: a study of transfer with retarded adolescents. Am J Ment Defic. 1973 Mar;77(5):556–566. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Stokes T. F., Baer D. M. An implicit technology of generalization. J Appl Behav Anal. 1977 Summer;10(2):349–367. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1977.10-349. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Behavior Analyst are provided here courtesy of Association for Behavior Analysis International

RESOURCES