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Updated: Apr 27, 2026
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Modeling Verbal Behavior Deficits with the Stimulus Control Ratio Equation, SCoRE
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Antecedent and consequential control of derived instruction-following
Denis O'Hora1, Dermot Barnes-Holmes, Ian Stewart
1National University of Ireland, Galway.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|July 1, 2014
Summary
Understanding instructions and following them can be controlled independently. This study shows that consequences can influence instruction-following behavior, even with novel instructions, demonstrating distinct stimulus control.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Behavioral Science
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Individuals may understand instructions without necessarily adhering to them.
- Behavioral psychology explores stimulus control and consequential operations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether following instructions is under independent stimulus control.
- To examine the role of consequences in establishing and maintaining instruction-following behavior.
Main Methods:
- Participants were trained on relational responding (Same/Different, Before/After) with arbitrary cues.
- Instruction-following was assessed using novel instructions composed of trained relational cues and new stimuli.
- Consequences (reinforcement and punishment) were manipulated to assess their effect on instruction-following behavior across two experiments.
Main Results:
- Reinforcing and punishing consequences for instruction-following generalized to novel instructions.
- Systematic manipulation of consequences in the presence of novel stimuli demonstrated antecedent control over instruction-following.
- All participants showed evidence of stimulus control related to consequences and antecedent stimuli.
Conclusions:
- Understanding instructions and the act of following them appear to be dissociable phenomena.
- Consequential control is a significant factor in the acquisition and maintenance of instruction-following behavior.
- These findings contribute to understanding the complex interplay between cognitive understanding and behavioral execution.
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