Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Relating Equivalence Relations to Equivalence Relations: A Relational Framing Model of Complex Human Functioning

  • Published:
The Analysis of Verbal Behavior Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The current study aimed to develop a behavior-analytic model of analogical reasoning. In Experiments 1 and 2 subjects (adults and children) were trained and tested for the formation of four, three-member equivalence relations using a delayed matching-to-sample procedure. All subjects (Experiments 1 and 2) were exposed to tests that examined relations between equivalence and non-equivalence relations. For example, on an equivalence-equivalence relation test, the complex sample B1/C1 and the two complex comparisons B3/C3 and B3/C4 were used, and on a nonequivalence-nonequivalence relation test the complex sample B1/C2 was presented with the same two comparisons. All subjects consistently related equivalence relations to equivalence relations and nonequivalence relations to nonequivalence relations (e.g., picked B3/C3 in the presence of B1/Cl and picked B3/C4 in the presence of B1/C2). In Experiment 3, the equivalence responding, the equivalence-equivalence responding, and the nonequivalence-nonequivalence responding was successfully brought under contextual control. Finally, it was shown that the contextual cues could function successfully as comparisons, and the complex samples and comparisons could function successfully as contextual cues and samples, respectively. These data extend the equivalence paradigm and contribute to a behaviour-analytic interpretation of analogical reasoning and complex human functioning, in general.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barnes, D. (1989). Behavior-behavior analysis, human schedule performance, and radical behaviorism. The Psychological Record, 39, 339–350.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnes, D. (1994). Stimulus equivalence and relational frame theory. The Psychological Record, 44, 91–124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnes, D., Browne, M., Smeets, P.M., & Roche, B. (1988). A transfer of functions and a conditional transfer of functions through equivalence relations in three to six year old children. The Psychological Record, 45, 405–430.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnes, D., & Holmes, Y. (1991). Radical behaviorism, stimulus equivalence, and human cognition. The Psychological Record, 41, 19–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnes, D., & Roche, B. (1996). Relational frame theory and stimulus equivalence are fundamentally different: A reply to Saunders’ commentary. The Psychological Record, 46, 489–507.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bush, K.M., Sidman, M., & deRose, T. (1989). Contextual control of emergent equivalence relations. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 52, 29–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dymond, S., & Barnes, D. (1995). A transformation of self-discrimination functions in accordance with the arbitrarily applicable relations of sameness, more than, and less than. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 64, 163–184.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Fields, L., Adams, B.J., Newman, S., & Verhave, T. (1992). Interactions among emergent relations during equivalence class formation. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 45 B, 125–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fields, L., Adams, B.J., Verhave, T., & Newman, S. (1990). The effects of nodality on the formation of equivalence classes. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 53, 345–358.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Gick, M.L., & Holyoak, K.J. (1983). Schema induction and analogical transfer. Cognitive Psychology, 15, 1–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, S.C. (1991). A relational control theory of stim-ulus equivalence. In L.J. Hayes & P.N. Chase (Eds.), Dialogues on verbal behavior (pp. 109–118). Reno, NV: Context Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, S.C. (1994). Relational frame theory: A func-tional approach to verbal events. In S.C. Hayes, L.J. Hayes, M. Sato, & K. Ono (Eds.). Behavior analysis of language and cognition (pp. 11–30). Reno NV: Context Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, S. C., & Barnes, D. (1997). Analyzing derived stimulus relations requires more than the concept of stimulus class. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 68, 235–244

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, S. C., & Brownstein, A. J. (1986). Mentalism, behavior-behavior relations, and the behavior-ana-lytic view of the purposes of science. The Behavior Analyst, 9, 175–190.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Markham, M.R., & Dougher, M.J. (1993). Compound stimuli in emergent stimulus relations: Extending the scope of stimulus equivalence. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 60, 529–542.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ortony, A., Reynolds, R.E., & Arter, J.A. (1978). Metaphor: Theoretical and empirical research. Psychological Bulletin, 85, 919–943.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perez-Gonzalez, L.A. (1994). Transfer of relational stimulus control in conditional discriminations. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 61, 487–503.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Saunders, R.R., & Green, G. (1992). The nonequiva-lence of behavioral and mathematical equivalence. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 57, 227–241.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Sidman, M. (1992). Equivalence relations: Some basic considerations. In S.C. Hayes & L.J. Hayes (Eds.), Understanding verbal relations (pp. 15–27). Reno, NV: Context Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sidman, M. (1994). Equivalence relations: A research story. Boston, MA: Authors Cooperative.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skinner, B. F. (1957). Verbal behavior. New York Appleton-Century-Crofts.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg, R.J. (1977). Component processes in analogical reasoning. Psychological Review, 84, 353–378.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stromer, R., & Mackay, H.A. (1992). Spelling and emergent picture-printed word relations established with delayed identity matching to complex samples. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 25, 893–904.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Stromer, R., Mcllvane, W.J., & Sema, R.W. (1993). Complex stimulus control and equivalence. The Psychological Record, 43, 585–598.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stromer, R., & Stromer, J.B. (1990a). The formation of arbitrary stimulus classes in matching to complex samples. The Psychological Record, 40, 51–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stromer, R., & Stromer, J.B. (1990b). Matching to complex samples: Further study of arbitrary stimulus classes. The Psychological Record, 40, 505–516.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wulfert, E., Greenway, D.E., & Dougher, M.J., (1994). Third order equivalence classes. The Psychological Record, 44, 411–440.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wulfert, E., & Hayes, S.C. (1988). Transfer of a condi-tional ordering response through conditional equiv-alence classes. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 50, 25–141.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Behavior Analysis and Cognitive Science Unit, Department of Applied Psychology, National University of Ireland, Cork, Ireland

    Dermot Barnes & Neil Hegarty

  2. Leiden University, Netherlands

    Paul M. Smeets

Authors
  1. Dermot Barnes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Neil Hegarty
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Paul M. Smeets
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Data from Experiments 1 and 2 were presented during the symposium: “Emerging Themes in Stimulus Equivalence,” at the Annual Conference of the Experimental Analysis of Behaviour Group, London, England, U.K. (April 12, 1995). The first author would like to acknowledge the doctoral research of Gina Lipkens as an important source of inspiration for the current set of experiments.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Barnes, D., Hegarty, N. & Smeets, P.M. Relating Equivalence Relations to Equivalence Relations: A Relational Framing Model of Complex Human Functioning. Analysis Verbal Behav 14, 57–83 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03392916

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03392916

Search

Navigation