Contributions of stimulus equivalence paradigm for studying attitudes

According to the behavior-analytic approach, attitudes can be viewed as responses emitted based on a previous learning history. Stimulus equivalence paradigm, using procedures that simulate symbolic behavior in the laboratory, has made possible to understand attitude formation as arbitrary relational networks between stimulus classes and evaluative attributes. This view has enabled understanding how social phenomena, such as prejudices and stereotypes, can be established and changed. The aim of this research is to present contributions, from empirical evidence demonstrated by stimulus equivalence research carried out in the last decades, especially from the 1 990’s, that strengthen this paradigm as an important behavioral model for studying attitudes.