RFT & the Self: Theory, Research, and Applications
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RFT & the Self: Theory, Research, and Applications Overview of Workshop z Behavior Analysis z Relational Frame Theory z Empirical Models z Perspective Taking z The Three Selves BehaviorBehavior AnalysisAnalysis && SelfSelf The Self in BA z The RFT approach to self is rooted in a pragmatic, bottom up behavioral account z Skinner provided a more basic behavioral account before the advent of derived relational approaches to language z He suggested the concept of the self is based on the discrimination of one’s own behavior Verbal versus Nonverbal Self-Knowledge z Animals ‘know’ (non-verbally) what they experience z Non-verbal knowledge is acquired based on direct experience with contingencies z Animals can be trained to report their own experience, thus demonstrating non verbal self-knowledge LATTAL (1975) No response DRO schedule DRL schedule Response Reinforcer Further examples z Inter-response times z Reynolds (1966) z Temporal Intervals z Reynolds & Catania (1962) z Different fixed ratio values z Pliskoff & Goldiamond (1966) z Run lengths z Shimp (1982) Non-Verbal Self-Knowledge z Non-verbal self-awareness z Responding to one’s own behavior z Non-verbal self z The physical organism RelationalRelational FrameFrame TheoryTheory && SelfSelf Verbal Self-Knowledge z Humans don’t simply behave with regard to their own behavior - they respond verbally with regard to their own behavior RFT & Verbal Behavior z According to RFT, the core of human language is the ability to arbitrarily relate objects and events, thus changing the psychological functions of those events z This is referred to as arbitrarily applicable relational responding or relational framing z To explain this concept, we first distinguish between non arbitrary and arbitrarily applicable relations Non Arbitrary & Arbitrarily Applicable Relations CONTEXTUAL CUE NON-ARBITRARY ARBITRARILY APPLICABLE (PHYSICAL) RELATIONS RELATIONS ‘APPLE’ ‘SAME’‘IS’ 10c 5c ‘MORE THAN’ Better Worse ‘OPPOSITE’ RELATIONAL FRAME THEORY PROPERTIES OF ARBITRARILY APPLICABLE RELATIONAL RESPONDING 1.1. MutualMutual EntailmentEntailment salivation sweet smooth red Apple Ull 3.3. TransformationTransformation ofof FunctionsFunctions 2. Combinatorial 2. Combinatorial salivation EntailmentEntailment sweet ull smooth red RFT & Verbal Behavior z Any object in a relational frame is a verbal object z Our own responding can be part of a relational frame and hence it can be verbal z In less technical language, we can talk about our own behavior I wandered lonely as a cloud… EmpiricalEmpirical ModelsModels ofof SelfSelf z We can compare our behavior either to a different example of our own behavior z (e.g., “I used to know that but I’ve forgotten”) z Or to someone else’s behavior z (e.g., “She swam faster than me”) Transformation of self-discrimination response functions via comparative relations Dymond and Barnes (1995) Train 1 Response Test 0 Response Function Function B1 Less B2 Same Less Same A1 More Same More C1 C2 Test 1 Response Test 2 Response Function Function Verbal Self-Discrimination z Verbal reports of one’s own behavior, or of the contingencies controlling it, can alter the functions of both z This can be for the good… z …as well as for the bad… –Self-instructions can reduce the effects of temporal delays in reinforcement –Self-knowledge of aversive events is itself aversive PerspectivePerspective TakingTaking Development of Perspective-Taking z Being able to respond verbally to our environment allows the development of certain patterns of relational framing z RFT refers to these frames as DEICTIC, which means that they depend on the perspective of the speaker z For RFT, deictic relational frames provide the basis of perspective taking Deictic Frames z Most relational frames are based on formal or non- arbitrary counterparts z This chair is bigger than that chair < z Steve has less hair than Homer z DEICTIC frames belong to a special class of relations that have no non-arbitrary counterparts and thus demonstration and multiple exemplar training cannot rely on such features Development of Perspective-Taking z The verbal community trains deictic relations by asking questions such as z What am I doing over here? z What are you doing now? z Perspective is the invariant that is abstracted from these discriminations z I-YOU, HERE-THERE, NOW-THEN z It is (verbal) responding to responding from a particular locus Development of Perspective-Taking z Abstraction of one’s perspective requires z Sufficiently well developed relational repertoire z Extensive history of multiple exemplars that take advantage of that repertoire z Deictic frames are supported by simpler relations that are true relative to a given perspective z Which is your left hand? z Which way is left? I am abadgood husbanddoctor I think of lunchtimeyourmy fatherwork pain I go homeintobackto my the to office schooldark I touch themyinto hotfacescreen the pan water I see youaand brightdesk cominghear future a dog I hear birdsmusicmya driving mother singing car calling I eat breadchocolateaice steak cream I am abadgood husbanddoctor I think of lunchtimeyourmy fatherwork pain I go homeintobackto my the to office schooldark I touch themyinto hotfacescreen the pan water I see youaand brightdesk cominghear future a dog I heareat breadchocolateaice birdsmusicmyasteak drivingcream mother singing car calling I am abadgood husbanddoctor I think of lunchtimeyourmy fatherwork pain I go homeintobackto my the to office schooldark I touch themyinto hotfacescreen the pan water I hearseeeat youaandbreadchocolateice birdsmusicmyabrightdesksteak drivingcream cominghear mother singing future a cardog calling I am abadgood husbanddoctor I think of lunchtimeyourmy fatherwork pain I go homeintobackto my the to office schooldark I heartouchseeeat youaandbreadchocolateice birdsmusicmyabrightdesksteak themyinto drivingcream cominghear mother hotfacescreen thesinging future a pan watercardog calling I think of lunchtimeyourmy fatherwork pain I go homeintobackto my the to office schooldark I heartouchamseeeat youaandbreadchocolateiceabadgood birdsmusicmyabrightdesksteakhusbanddoctor themyinto drivingcream cominghear mother hotfacescreen thesinging future a pan watercardog calling I go homeintobackto my the to office schooldark I thinkamheartouchseeeat youaandbreadchocolateiceabadgood birdsmusicmya brightdesksteakdoctorhusband ofthemyinto drivingcream coming hear lunchtimeyourmymother hotfacescreen thesinging fatherworkfuture a painpan watercardog calling I thinkheartouchamseegoeat homeintobackto youaandbreadchocolateiceabadgood birdsmusicmya brightdesksteakhusbanddoctormy ofthemyinto drivingcream the coming hear tolunchtimeyourmy motheroffice hotfacescreen theschoolsingingdark fatherworkfuture a painpan watercardog calling Perspective-Taking z A person is always speaking from the perspective of I-HERE-NOW about events that happen THERE and THEN z Words like I and YOU do not define perspective-taking frames; they are Crels that often control perspective-taking frames z Responding in accordance with deictic frames allows us to evaluate, compare, contrast, and judge events from a constant perspective Empirical Work McHugh, Barnes-Holmes, & Barnes-Holmes (2004) 80 70 60 50 Errors 40 30 20 10 0 Adults Adoles. Late Mid Early C/hood C/hood C/hood Age Range Deictic relational framing (I-You, Here-There, Now-Then) ability correlates with data from Theory of Mind studies McHugh, Barnes-Holmes, & Barnes-Holmes (2004) Deictic relational frames produce ERPs patterns similar to those found in ToM research SELF OTHER A Single Relation Task I have a white brick and you have a red brick Which brick do you have? Which brick do I have? A Reversed Relation Task I am sitting here on the blue chair and you are sitting there on the black chair Here: There: If HERE was THERE & THERE was HERE Where would I be sitting? Where would you be sitting? A Double Reversed Relation Task Yesterday I was sitting there on the black chair, today I am sitting here on the blue chair Here: There: Now: Then: If HERE was THERE and THERE was HERE and NOW was THEN and THEN was NOW Where would I be sitting now? Where would you be sitting then? Further Research on Deictics z Relational repertoires required for perspective taking follow a distinct developmental profile and are comprised of functionally distinct relational components (McHugh, Barnes-Holmes, Barnes- Holmes & Stewart, 2006) z Deictic relations are generalized operants (Weil, 2007) z Deictic relations can be trained (e.g., Heagle & Rehfeldt, 2006) including in children with autistic spectrum disorders with perspective-taking deficits (Rehfeldt, Dillen, Ziomek & Kowalchuk, 2007) SupportiveSupportive DataData fromfrom AlternativeAlternative PerspectivesPerspectives GALLUP (1977) – Self Recognition Self recognition in primates, American Psychologist, 32, 329-338 z In Gallup (1977), chimps first reacted to mirror images with fright / aggression z After 10 days exposure they responded in accordance with a correspondence between themselves and the mirror image z Gallup claimed the chimps were ‘self-aware’ but Povinelli (1998) disagreed, arguing that they were simply responding to a correspondence between their own behavior and that of the image z This is a combination of non-arbitrary similarity and non-verbal responding to one’s own behavior POVINELLI (1998) Maybe not, American Psychologist Presents, 9(4), 67, 72-75 z Povinelli (1998) z Three year olds who saw a video from minutes earlier of an experimenter putting a sticker on their head seemed to recognize