**3.1. Behavior morphologies**

This first category of the microcontingential system refers to the identification of the ways in which a person, whose behavior is studied, relates to circumstances, objects, or events of his/her environment, as well as with the significant people in that relationship. According to Rodríguez [5], forms of behavior are identified in this paragraph, what a person says, does, thinks, and feels in a specific situation, for example, cry, scream, blackmail, get angry, say something to himself/herself, and drink alcoholic beverages, among others.

Effective morphologies can be identified (those that affect others' or one's own behavior), such as when a person yells at, blackmails or seduces another; or when a person sets his/her alarm clock to get up early the next day; whereas affective morphologies are those without affecting others 'behavior, such as trembling, feeling agitated, nervous, elated or angry.

Likewise, other significant people's behavior morphologies must be included for the behavior of interest, as well as some of these morphologies' parameters (latency, frequency, and intensity), if some are relevant to the analysis [5].

### **3.2. Situations**

Situations are deemed as the set of dispositional physical and social characteristics, of the individual, and his/her environment, which, without belonging to the occurrence category, play a probabilistic role in an interaction, facilitating or inhibiting the same.

Inclusion of dispositional factors in psychology makes it possible to study many phenomena that traditionally have been studied in a dualistic manner, that is, considering them as something "internal", "mental", "unobservable", and those that are generally understood as "causes" of behavior. We are talking about terms such as "emotions", "memory", "imagination", "perception", and "intention", among others.

Based on Ryle's [4] *dispositional* concept, these factors, when they belong to the user, are formed by capabilities and tendencies, whereas when they refer to the environment, they refer to physical and social properties that make up the context in which a relationship takes place. These factors are not occurrences, in other words, specific or discrete variables, but collections of the same. To clarify the latter we give an example of a person who considers himself/herself as jealous which, in psychological terms, refers to a tendency and in this regard to a dispositional factor; the collection of occurrences means that he/she has complained to his/her partner for relating to members of the opposite sex in the past, who makes fidelity demands and pays attention to the way his/her partner observes members of the opposite sex, among others. These ways of behaving make it more likely that in the present situation with his/her partner, he/she repeats these types of behaviors. To be jealous is a tendency, in other words, a dispositional factor.

elements structures the form in which such relationship occurs (mediating element). It is limited according to the conventionally defined situation of interest, family relationship, work relationship, upbringing, and love relationships, among others. It consists of four elements: behavior morphologies, situations, other people's behavior, and effects. Each one is

This first category of the microcontingential system refers to the identification of the ways in which a person, whose behavior is studied, relates to circumstances, objects, or events of his/her environment, as well as with the significant people in that relationship. According to Rodríguez [5], forms of behavior are identified in this paragraph, what a person says, does, thinks, and feels in a specific situation, for example, cry, scream, blackmail, get angry, say

Effective morphologies can be identified (those that affect others' or one's own behavior), such as when a person yells at, blackmails or seduces another; or when a person sets his/her alarm clock to get up early the next day; whereas affective morphologies are those without affecting others 'behavior, such as trembling, feeling agitated, nervous, elated or angry.

Likewise, other significant people's behavior morphologies must be included for the behavior of interest, as well as some of these morphologies' parameters (latency, frequency, and inten-

Situations are deemed as the set of dispositional physical and social characteristics, of the individual, and his/her environment, which, without belonging to the occurrence category,

Inclusion of dispositional factors in psychology makes it possible to study many phenomena that traditionally have been studied in a dualistic manner, that is, considering them as something "internal", "mental", "unobservable", and those that are generally understood as "causes" of behavior. We are talking about terms such as "emotions", "memory", "imagina-

Based on Ryle's [4] *dispositional* concept, these factors, when they belong to the user, are formed by capabilities and tendencies, whereas when they refer to the environment, they refer to physical and social properties that make up the context in which a relationship takes place. These factors are not occurrences, in other words, specific or discrete variables, but collections of the same. To clarify the latter we give an example of a person who considers himself/herself as jealous which, in psychological terms, refers to a tendency and in this regard to a dispositional factor; the collection of occurrences means that he/she has complained to his/her partner for relating to members of the opposite sex in the past, who makes fidelity demands and pays attention to the way his/her partner observes members of the opposite sex, among others. These ways of behaving make it more likely that in the present situation with

something to himself/herself, and drink alcoholic beverages, among others.

play a probabilistic role in an interaction, facilitating or inhibiting the same.

explained herein.

26 Behavior Analysis

**3.2. Situations**

**3.1. Behavior morphologies**

sity), if some are relevant to the analysis [5].

tion", "perception", and "intention", among others.

The situations that give a context to a relationship comprise different elements with a possible dispositional function. Some of them refer to specific components of the person's interbehavioral history, whereas others refer to certain environmental characteristics. Thereby, the subcategories that correspond to situations are (1) social circumstance, (2) place or places, (3) objects or physical events, (4) socially expected behaviors, (5) competencies and incompetences to carry out what is socially expected, (6) inclinations and propensities, and (7) tendencies [5].


of the studied behavior. In some cases, particularly propensities, these may be affective morphologies, that is, affective components of some form of responding; analysis of the case will determine their function. For example, if we are studying a couple's relationship and we realize that she fights with him when she feels sad, due to reasons outside their relationship, her state of mind—sadness—in this case would have a dispositional function of making fights and arguments more likely. But if the person feels sad because her husband tells her that he does not love her anymore, then we would talk about an affective morphology.

under study. It is also important to mention that this regulation does not take place by a prescription of contingencies in such a manner that a person with a mediator function in a

Contingential Analysis: Interbehavioral Methodology for the Applied Field

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.74464

29

• Tendency regulator: it is similar to the foregoing behavior only that in this case a person's behavior modulates a habit or tendency in another person. For example, if a person's best friend smokes frequently, it is likely that the person in question will smoke too when he/

It is important to bear in mind that people's behaviors do not always have a dispositional

The last microcontingential analysis category is the one pertaining to effects. These refer to the consequence relationship that exists between what the user says, does, or thinks and the changes that this can have in the environment, other people's behavior, or one's own behavior [5, 7]. Depending on the type of generated change, the effects are classified in different

On others or on the environment: they refer to the change that one's own behavior generates in other people's behavior or in any environmental physical-chemical property; for example, if a person yells at other people when they interrupt him/her at work, it is very likely that others stop interrupting him/her in that circumstance, as an effect of the person in question's

On himself/herself: this type of behavior only refers to the one that affects the person that emits the same, producing modifications in what he/she does, thinks, or feels. For example, when a person constantly thinks that thieves are going to break into his/her house and has nightmares and loses his/her appetite, even though this does not occur, his/her behavior has dispositional effects on himself/herself. His/her behavior affects his/her biological and emo-

Ineffective: a behavior is deemed ineffective when it does not generate changes in the environ-

In summary, the microcontingential system consists of identifying the factors implied in an interaction, its function within the same, and later to determine the explanatory weight of the different components. Each behavior is analyzed in an individual basis, and, as far as mor-

All human psychological interaction takes place through a means of contact and the regulatory framework is the one that makes our relationships possible [5]. The possibilities of detachment of human behavior regarding the physical-chemical aspects of situations in the here and now

phology does not determine function, every factor is analyzed with functional basis.

ment or in the person himself/herself, such as some adjustment behaviors.

relationship cannot have dispositional functions in the same way.

she is with that person.

**3.4. Effects**

ways:

behavior.

tional conditions.

**4. Macrocontingential system**

function in all studied interactions.

**g.** Tendencies: according to Rodríguez [6], "this concept refers to customs, habits and forms of behavior that have been linked with specific effects in the past and for this reason have a high emission probability under certain circumstances" (p. 94). Those tendencies that make the behavior of interest more or less likely are identified. For example, those kind of behaviors referred in terms such as "irascible", that can make a problem with another person more likely, or an addiction to some drug that may interfere with work, if this is what is being studied.

The described subcategories designate factors that make up a situation; however, not all have a dispositional function for a behavior in particular. In this methodology, it is the psychologist's task to analyze the function of the different factors.

#### **3.3. Other people's behavior**

Under this heading the different functions that other people's behavior can exercise and that are significant for the person whose behavior is studied are considered. To analyze the same, the core dimension is the one of *mediating individual/mediated individuals*. The other functions that are conceptually contemplated are dispositional.


The other dispositional functions are:


under study. It is also important to mention that this regulation does not take place by a prescription of contingencies in such a manner that a person with a mediator function in a relationship cannot have dispositional functions in the same way.

• Tendency regulator: it is similar to the foregoing behavior only that in this case a person's behavior modulates a habit or tendency in another person. For example, if a person's best friend smokes frequently, it is likely that the person in question will smoke too when he/ she is with that person.

It is important to bear in mind that people's behaviors do not always have a dispositional function in all studied interactions.
