Abstract
What characterizes behavior analysis is the scientific method, not only experimentation, and not exclusively individual behavior. Behavior analysis is a search for order, for uniformities, for lawful relations among environment and behavior. The behavior of a single subject can be observed under many circumstances, even when other individuals are present. When working with social issues, the focus on a single subject can be expanded to the analysis of cultural practices involving groups of persons behaving in concert, where the behavior of a person has sense only when considered in the context of the result of the group. Functional units of behavior like macrocontingencies and metacontingencies help us describe the behavior of persons in groups and propose interventions at a larger scale. In this context, behavior analysts should pay attention to the tools used by controlling agencies to control behavior. Among those agencies, the government plays a special role in regulating not only the behavior of controlees, but also the behavior of the controllers. By codifying which behaviors are legal or illegal and applying systematic consequences to their occurrence, the government is in a position to shape social behavior. Public policy is a crucial tool used by governments to change behavior at large scales. Research from behavior analysts can acquire discriminative functions for the decision-making behavior of policymakers. This chapter presents concepts used in the analysis of cultural practices showing research in several areas, not necessarily experimental work, and describes a scientific approach to the description, prediction, and control of behavior that may contribute to the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of government interventions.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Regarding the concept of macrocontingency, two important points should be noted. The first one is that behaviors are selected and maintained by consequences that are not the same for everyone. The second point is that the cumulative effect is not independently manipulated and does not select or maintain behavior.
- 2.
“Real” is the name of the Brazilian currency; “reais” is the plural form.
- 3.
Important to note, competing contingencies might influence legislators’ behavior during formulation and decision-making. Contingencies that are beyond the scope of the issue being discussed and the best solution to solve the problem can shape legislative decisions (cf., Farber & Frickey, 1987, 1988). The desires of high-income groups or the next elections are some examples.
References
Bernardi, J. (2009). O processo legislativo brasileiro [The Brazilian legislative process]. Curitiba, PR: Ibpex.
Biglan, A., Ary, D., & Wagenaar, A. C. (2000). The value of interrupted time-series experiments for community intervention research. Prevention Science, 1(1), 31–49. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010024016308
Black, D. (1976). The behavior of law. New York, NY: Academic Press.
Black, D. (1998). The social structure of right and wrong (revised edition). New York, NY: Academic Press.
Cabral, M. D. C., & Todorov, J. C. (2015). Contingencies and metacontingencies in a law on diminishing time in prison through education. Brazilian Journal of Behavior Analysis, 11(2), 195–202. https://doi.org/10.18542/rebac.v11i2.4013
Catania, A. C. (1979). Learning. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Chriss, J. J. (2010). Social control revisited. In J. J. Chriss (Ed.), Social control: Informal, legal, and medical (pp. 1–16). Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
CNN. (2017, October 13). Obesity among all US adults reaches all-time high [news article]. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2017/10/13/health/adult-obesity-increase-study/index.html
de Carvalho, I. C. V., & Todorov, J. C. (2016). Metacontingencies and aggregated products in the law of guidelines and basis for education: First the objective, then how to get there. Brazilian Journal of Behavior Analysis, 12(2), 75–85. https://doi.org/10.18542/rebac.v12i2.4400
Farber, D. A., & Frickey, P. P. (1987). The jurisprudence of public choice. Texas Law Review, 65(5), 873–927.
Farber, D. A., & Frickey, P. P. (1988). Legislative intent and public choice. Virginia Law Review, 74(2), 423–469.
Fava, V. M. D., & Vasconcelos, L. A. (2017). Behavior of Programa Bolsa Família beneficiaries: A behavior analytic perspective on fulfillment of education and health conditionalities. Behavior and Social Issues, 26, 156–171. https://doi.org/10.5210/bsi.v26i0.7825
Fawcett, S. B., Bernstein, G. S., Czyzewski, M. J., Greene, B. F., Hannah, G. T., Iwata, B. A., … Winett, R. A. (1988). Behavior analysis and public policy. The Behavior Analyst, 11, 11–25. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03392450
Fernandes, R. C. (2018). Uma análise comportamental não-linear de problemas sociais: O caso da renda básica [A nonlinear behavior analysis of social issues: The case of universal basic income] (Unpublished master thesis). University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil.
Ferreira Filho, M. G. (2012). Do processo legislativo [About the legislative process] (7a ed. rev.). São Paulo, SP: Saraiva.
Glenn, S. S. (1986). Metacontingencies in Walden Two. Behavior Analysis and Social Action, 5, 2–8. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03406059
Glenn, S. S. (2004). Individual behavior, culture, and social change. The Behavior Analyst, 27, 133–151. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03393175
Glenn, S. S., Malott, M. E., Benvenuti, M., Houmanfar, R., Sandaker, I., Todorov, J. C., … Vasconcelos, L. (2016). Toward consistent terminology in a behaviorist approach to cultural analysis. Behavior and Social Issues, 25, 11–27. https://doi.org/10.5210/bsi.v25i0.6634
Greene, J. A. (1999). Zero tolerance: A case study of policy policies and practices in NYC. Crime & Delinquency, 45(2), 171–187.
Hart, B. M., Reynolds, N. J., Baer, D. M., Brawley, E. R., & Harris, F. R. (1968). Effect of contingent and non-contingent social reinforcement on the cooperative play of a preschool child. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1(1), 73–76. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.1968.1-73
Jann, W., & Wegrich, K. (2007). Theories of the policy cycle. In F. Fischer, G. J. Miller, & M. S. Sidney (Eds.), Handbook of public policy analysis: Theory, politics and methods (pp. 43–62). New York, NY: CRC Press.
Januzzi, P. M. (2011). Avaliação de programas sociais no Brasil: Repensando práticas e metodologias das pesquisas avaliativas [Evaluation of social programs in Brazil: Rethinking practices and methodologies of evaluative research]. Planejamento e Políticas Públicas – PPP, 36, 251–275. Retrieved from http://www.ipea.gov.br/ppp/index.php/PPP/issue/view/30
Lamal, P. A., & Greenspoon, J. (1992). Congressional metacontingencies. Behavior and Social Issues, 2(1), 71–81. https://doi.org/10.5210/bsi.v2i1.175
Lemos, R. F. (2018). A atuação do Analista do Comportamento em Políticas Públicas: Ação intersetorial em âmbito local para aumentar a frequência escolar de adolescentes de famílias beneficiárias do Programa Bolsa Família. [The role of the behavior analyst in public policies: Intersectoral action at local level to increase school attendance among adolescents from families benefitted by the Bolsa Família Program.] (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil.
Lé-Sénéchal-Machado, V., & Todorov, J. C. (2008). Walking the crosswalk in Brasília (DF/Brazil): A cultural intervention example. Brazilian Journal of Behavior Analysis, 4(2), 191–204. https://doi.org/10.18542/rebac.v4i2.850
Marr, M. J. (2006). Behavior analysis and social dynamics: Some questions and concerns. Behavior and Social Issues, 15, 57–67. https://doi.org/10.5210/bsi.v15i1.345
Mattaini, M. A. (1996). Public issues, human behavior, and cultural design. In M. A. Mattaini & B. A. Thyer (Eds.), Finding solutions to social problems: Behavioral strategies for change (pp. 13–40). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Meehan, J. H. (2007). Principios generales de técnica legislativa [General principles of legislative technique]. In E. Saravia & E. Ferrarezi (Eds.), Políticas Públicas. Coletânea - Volume 2 (pp. 21–58). Brasília, DF: ENAP.
Melo, T. G., & Gonzalez, D. C. M. (2017). Pagamento por serviços ambientais (PSA) e práticas de agricultura sustentável: Contribuições da Análise do Comportamento [Payments for Environmental Services (PES) and practices of sustainable agriculture: Contributions from Behavior Analysis]. Estudos Interdisciplinares em Psicologia, 8(2), 20–42.
Oliveira, J. M. (2018). O estabelecimento de práticas culturais através de políticas públicas – análise de programas de pagamento por serviços ambientais e suas regulamentações [Establishing cultural practices through public policy—review of payment for environmental services programs and their regulations] (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil.
Oliveira, J. M., & Todorov, J. C. (2018). Práticas culturais e políticas públicas: Análise de contingências em programas governamentais [Cultural practices and public policy: Analysis of the contingencies in government programs]. In D. Zilio (Ed.), Comportamento em Foco (Volume 8) (pp. 86–107). São Paulo, SP: ABPMC.
Pacheco, L. B. (2013). Como se fazem as leis [How to make laws] (3rd ed.). Brasília, DF: Câmara dos Deputados, Edições Câmara.
Prudêncio, M. R. A. (2006). Leis e metacontingências: Análise do controle do estatuto da criança e do adolescente sobre práticas jurídicas em processos de infração de adolescentes no Distrito Federal [Laws and metacontingencies: Analysis of the control of the statute of children and adolescents on legal practices in adolescent infringement proceedings in the Federal District] (Unpublished master’s thesis). University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil.
Ross, E. A. (1901/2012). Social control: A survey of the foundations of order. New York, NY: Macmillan.
Rua, M. G., & Romanini, R. (2013). Para Aprender Políticas Públicas. Volume 1: Conceitos e Teorias. [To Learn Public Policy. Volume 1: Concepts and theories]. Retrieved from http://igepp.com.br/uploads/ebook/ebook-para_aprender_politicas_publicas-2013.pdf
Saasa, O. (2007). A formulação da política pública nos países em desenvolvimento: A utilidade dos modelos contemporâneos de tomada de decisão [The formulation of public policy in developing countries: The usefulness of contemporary decision-making models]. In E. Saravia & E. Ferrarezi (Eds.), Políticas Públicas. Coletânea - Volume 2 (pp. 219–238). Brasília, DF: ENAP.
Sampaio, N. (1996). O processo legislativo [The legislative process] (2a ed.). Belo Horizonte, MG: Del Rey.
Saravia, E. (2007). Introdução à teoria da política pública [Introduction to public policy theory]. In E. Saravia & E. Ferrarezi (Eds.), Políticas Públicas. Coletânea - Volume 1 (pp. 21–42). Brasília, DF: ENAP.
Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and human behavior. New York, NY: Macmillan.
The Washington Post. (2016, November 1). Hiding in plain sight: The adult literacy crisis [news article]. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/11/01/hiding-in-plain-sight-the-adult-literacy-crisis/?noredirect=on
Todorov, J. C. (1987). A Constituição como metacontingência [The constitution as metacontingency]. Psicologia: Ciência e Profissão, 7, 9–13. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1414-98931987000100003
Todorov, J. C. (2005). Laws and the complex control of behavior. Behavior and Social Issues, 14, 86–90. https://doi.org/10.5210/bsi.v14i2.360
Todorov, J. C. (2009). Behavioral analysis of non-experimental data associated with cultural practices. Behavior and Social Issues, 18, 10–14. https://doi.org/10.5210/bsi.v18i1.2756
Todorov, J. C. (2013). Conservation and transformation of cultural practices through contingencies and metacontingencies. Behavior and Social Issues, 22, 64–73. https://doi.org/10.5210/bsi.v.22i0.4812
Todorov, J. C., Moreira, M., Prudêncio, M. R. A., & Pereira, G. C. C. (2004). O Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente como metacontingência [The statute of children and adolescents as metacontingency]. In M. Z. S. Brandão, F. C. S. Conte, F. S. Brandão, Y. K. Ingberman, V. L. M. Silva, & S. M. Oliani (Eds.), Sobre comportamento e cognição: contingências e metacontingências, contextos sócio-verbais e o comportamento do terapeuta (Vol. 13, pp. 44–51). Santo André, SP: ESETec.
Vasconcelos-Silva, A., Todorov, J. C., & Silva, R. L. F. C. (2012). Cultura organizacional: A visão da análise do comportamento [Organizational cultura: The behavior analysis view]. Revista Brasileira de Terapia Comportamental e Cognitiva, XIV(1), 48–63.
Zilio, D. (2019). On the function of science: An overview of 30 years of publications on Metacontingency. Behavior and Social Issues, 28, 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42822-019-00006-x.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Association for Behavior Analysis International
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Todorov, J.C., Freitas Lemos, R. (2020). Applying Behavioral Science to Large-Scale Social Changes. In: Cihon, T.M., Mattaini, M.A. (eds) Behavior Science Perspectives on Culture and Community. Behavior Analysis: Theory, Research, and Practice. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45421-0_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45421-0_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-45420-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-45421-0
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)