EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF CREATIVE BEHAVIOR: INVESTIGATING VARIABILITY AND DERIVATION

• Grant number: 24/21558-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: November 01, 2025
• End date: February 29, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Experimental Psychology
• Principal Investigator: João Henrique de Almeida
• Grantee: Marcello Henrique Silvestre
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências (FC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Bauru. Bauru , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Creativity is understood as an operant behavior that emerges from reinforcement histories in contexts that favor variability. Behavioral variability, considered either an operant or a dimension of the operant, can be shaped by reinforcement contingencies, including schemes like lag n, which have been widely studied and applied to increase response diversity. Although the applicability of variability is well documented, theoretical debates persist regarding its explanation in terms of the environment-organism relationship. This study addresses a neglected aspect: the probabilities of within-class responses in contexts of derived/emergent relations. Using contextually controlled classes and emergent symmetry relations, the goal is to explore the dynamics of within-class variability and expand the experimental scope of Behavior Analysis. Results may have implications for educational approaches based on Stimulus Equivalence, promoting more varied and creative responses and aligned with the development of less stereotyped behaviors. The general aim is to explore and influence the dynamics of the distribution of within-class responses of contextually controlled symmetry relations. Specifically, Experiment 1 investigates the impact of different opportunities for derivation, Experiment 2 seeks to observe the effect of reinforcement on derived/emergent relations, and Experiment 3 establishes contingencies for the production of behavioral variability.