Experimental Analysis of Macrocontingencies and Metacontingencies Between Group Competition

Abstract

Metacontingencies describe a functional relationship between interlocking behavioral contingencies that produce an aggregate product and a selecting environment. Various metacontingency procedures employ operant contingencies and metacontingencies concurrently to investigate participant’s choices to engage in a behavior as a function of either the magnitude or frequency of consequences. However, little research attention has been given to evaluate macrocontingencies to metacontingencies in the context of between-group competition. The present study compared the results of three experimental groups. In experimental group 1, participants responded to the task together and were allowed to use vocal communication. In experimental group 2, participants responded to the task individually. In experimental group 3, participants responded to the task together but were not allowed to use vocal communication. The results showed that some participants in group 2 reached a high percentage of correct responses, but the sum of their performance (macrocontingency) was not significantly better than chance. The performance of participants who cooperated (groups 1 and 3) was significantly better than chance. We discuss the role of between-group selection, within-group variability and social contingencies in the adaptive value of cooperation.