Effects of The Probability and Magnitude of Punishment on Illegal Behavior

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31505/rbtcc.v23i1.1503

Keywords:

corruption, illegal, punishment, risk, matching law

Abstract

This study systematically replicated Experiment 1 of Carreiro (2017), testing the effects of extreme values of punishment magnitude and probability (loss of points); and the learning history of legal and illegal (corrupt) responses. In a virtual scenario, 96 university students chose between a legal alternative, which provided low magnitude reinforcers (points); and an illegal one, which produced high magnitude reinforcers, with the possibility of punishment. There were five phases (with different punishment values and with baseline) in 16 different orders, composing 16 groups. The results suggest the effectiveness of punishment in reducing illegal behavior. The analysis of the matching law showed a high correlation between the ratio of illegal responses and the ratio of reinforcements, bias, and especially matching and undermatching. The values and orders that the punitive stimulus was presented produced different effects on illegal behavior, such as lower proportion in phases of high magnitude and probability.

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Author Biographies

Christian Vichi, Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco, Brazil

Ph.D. in Theory and Research of Behavior at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA). He acts as Associate Professor I in undergraduate and master's courses in psychology at the Federal University of Vale do São Francisco (Univasf).

Ariela Oliveira Holanda, Instituto Federal do Paraná

Ph.D. in Behavioral Sciences from the University of Brasília. Professor of Psychology of Basic, Technical and Technological Education at the Federal Institute of Paraná, Campus Londrina.

Álex Jonatas dos Santos Rosas, Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco

Undergraduate student in Psychology at the Federal University of Vale do São Francisco.

Published

2022-12-19

How to Cite

da Cruz Silva, T., Vichi, C., Oliveira Holanda, A., & dos Santos Rosas, Álex J. (2022). Effects of The Probability and Magnitude of Punishment on Illegal Behavior. Brazilian Journal of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy, 23(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.31505/rbtcc.v23i1.1503

Issue

Section

Special section: Behavior Analysis, Game theory and behavioral economics