Abstract
In order to meet certain recurring criticisms of behavior theory it is necessary to assess the cross-cultural validity of behavioral propositions. The required tests should be as free as possible of time constraints, laboratory limitations, and cultural artifacts. Long-term natural experiments in nonurban, nonindustrial settings would be best. Anthropological studies, especially of community development programs, provide excellent information, as long as the data can be structured into the experimental paradigm. The Vicos Project is a successful natural experiment that lasted for a decade and produced significant changes in complex, arduous, and vital behavior patterns in scores of Peruvian villagers. The efficacy of procedures involving differential reinforcement demonstrates the cross-cultural validity of behavioral propositions.
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Kunkel, J.H. The Vicos Project: A Cross-Cultural Test of Psychological Propositions. Psychol Rec 36, 451–466 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03394965
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03394965