Survey of antecedent and consequent variables that favored learning and maintenance of interpersonal difficulties in university student

Abstract

Many people complain about difficulties in their interpersonal relationships and the occurrence of intense emotional responses. Functional Analysis contributes to explaining the behaviors in question, identifying their antecedent and consequent conditions, since the analysis of the contingencies that keep these difficulties makes their modification possible. The purpose of this project was to survey the behaviors that characterized interpersonal difficulties of four university students and relate them to the variables responsible for the learning and maintenance of such behaviors. Four individual clinic interviews, inventory application and direct observation were carried out. After the functional analysis, difficulties were observed that involved classes of behaviors said to be passive and hostile. Amongst the variables that influenced the learning of these patterns, it was noticed the prevalence of hostile variables, extinction of pro-social behaviors and little diverse environment for the modeling and shaping of proper behaviors as well as the facing of hostile situations. As for the maintainers, it was observed in an accentuated way, the occurrence of negative reinforcement (escape/ social exposition avoidance) as well as positive reinforcement.