The concept of metacontingency, as a unit of analysis of cultural selection, has just recently been experimentally investigated. We aimed to evaluate the effects of cultural consequences upon interlocking behavioral contingencies (IBCs) by employing (a) a new experimental task in which a clear specification and measurement of the topographies involved is possible and (b) a procedure with a cultural consequence baseline and phase changes based on performance. We also manipulated consequences for IBCs with higher and lower complexity and assessed the effects of different levels of vocal verbal interaction. Each participant, who was assigned to 1 of 4 triads, chose 1 of 24 comparison figures after the presentation of a sample figure. Individual consequences depended on the relation between the chosen figure and the sample figure. Cultural consequences depended on the relation between figures chosen by 2 (partial IBCs) or 3 participants (total IBCs). After a phase with individual consequences alone, there were one or two phases with the presentation of cultural consequences. In one triad, conversation was not allowed. In all triads, individual responses were selected in few trials and in close temporal proximity among participants. The effects of cultural consequences on IBCs covaried with the number of trials with utterances regarding the task.
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