Revisão integrativa sobre conceitos analítico-comportamentais relacionados ao desenvolvimento

Abstract

Behavioral analytic concepts related to Development were reviewed on an integrative review: behavioral traps, cumulative-hierarchical learning, pivotal behaviors and behavioral cusps. From the review, possibilities of dialogue and boundaries between Behavior Analysis (BA) and the Developmental Systems Approach (DSA) were discussed. The CAPES Journal Portal for the search and only peer-reviewed articles published between 1967 and December 2016, written in English or Portuguese, that contained exactly the search terms in the title, abstract or keywords were selected. After the application of these criteria and the elimination of repetitions, 25 articles were selected. The analysis pointed out to behavioral traps as a concept dealing with specific social arrangements not controlled experimentally related to broad changes in repertoire. Cumulative-hierarchical learning (CHL) occur as long learning processes and tend to become more complex throughout the lifespan. The basic behavioral repertoires (BBR) would refer to the influence of prior learning about the current repertoire. Both, CHL and BBR, are imprecise in their definitions, especially in the case of BBR. Pivotal behaviors and behavioral cusps have similarities regarding the phenomena they cover, behaviors that are critical to development. However, behavioral cusp is considered more comprehensive. From the approach between Behavior Analysis and the Developmental Systems Approach, it was verified that although they are independent disciplines, there is similarity between some concepts of BA with concepts and principles of DSA. Interlocution between BA and DSA can contribute to broadening the scope of variables that can be used in a behavioral investigation by questioning developmental phenomena formerly designated as exclusively biological.