Four dimensions of rules and their correspondence to rule-governed behavior: A taxonomy.

Abstract

The taxonomy presented takes into account dimensions of an entire contingency arrangement specified in the rule and how these dimensions relate to the listener's behavior. The classification is made according to rule: (a) explicitness, (b) accuracy, (c) complexity, and (d) source. It is argued that the probability that the listener will behave according to a rule depends on the type of rule provided, the context in which the rule is provided, and listener's history with that or other similar rules. Even though manipulations of other types of rules have been conducted in studies of stimulus equivalence, relational frames, and derived stimulus relations, a systematic study of the differential effects of the proposed 16 types of rules on the listener's behavior is recommended.