INVESTIGATING PRESCHOOL CHILDREN'S RELATIONAL PERFORMANCE ON COORDINATION AND DIFFEERENCE FRAMES

Abstract

Human development is a intricate and dynamic phenomenon that spans an individual's life from conception to advanced stages. The early years of life are crucial for establishing behaviors that form the basis for more complex repertoires, considering especially human behavior. The Relational Frame Theory seeks to understand how this repertoire, that underlies Verbal Behavior, is learned early in our development. In the Behavior Analysis literature, there are 15 studies examining equivalence development with infants and children up to 36 months, of which 14 demonstrated the establishment of these relations. However, when various frames are considered, there is limited evidence of this type of relational learning. Thus, the objective of this project is to employ an assessment tool for relational performance to be conducted with children aged 18 to 45 months. On this instrument it will be observed children's performances in arbitrary and non-arbitrary relations, considering the frames of equivalence (coordination) and difference. With this project, we hope to not only expand academic knowledge about relational learning for early learners but also provide insights for professionals involved in planning and implementing educational programs aimed at preschool children.