Expanding the study of derived relations and electrophysiological correlates

• Grant number: 25/00383-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Experimental Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Júlio César Coelho de Rose
• Grantee: Guilherme Sbrocco
• Supervisor: Jan de Houwer
• Host Institution: Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Ghent University (UGent), Belgium
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/00068-9 - Deriving coordination relations by training opposition relations: a study using behavioral and electrophysiological measures, BP.DD

Abstract

Sidman's findings established equivalence relations as central to the behavioural analysis of cognition. Subsequent research dealt with other types of relations, such as difference, opposition, comparison, etc. However, some authors argue that evidence interpreted as the product of opposition relations can be explained only with equivalence, non-equivalence, and exclusion. While this debate has generated considerable discussion, it remains unresolved. My PhD work sits in this controversy. Preliminary behavioural data suggests that equivalence is insufficient to explain the results but electrophysiological data remains inconclusive. This application seeks support for a 12-month internship in the Learning and Implicit Processes Lab (LIPLab), coordinated by Dr. Jan De Houwer, at Ghent University, Belgium. This Lab offers an ideal environment to advance two key components of my PhD work: behavioural analysis and neuroscientific techniques. During the internship, I will perform three main activities. First, I will undergo a 3-month intensive training in electroencephalography (EEG), eye tracking, and pupillometry. Second, I will conduct an experiment from my PhD project, replicating it in Brazil upon my return. Finally, I will collaborate on an innovative study in Dr. De Houwer's Lab on basic concepts of Relational Frame Theory (RFT). In addition to these activities, I will engage in lab meetings, present my findings at department seminars, and attend faculty-wide talks on neuroimaging. This internship will significantly enhance my research in Brazil and foster stronger collaboration between our research groups.