Network Analysis of Academic Production on Metacontingencies

Abstract The concept of metacontingencies, developed within behavior analysis as a conceptual tool, enabled the emergence of a new field of study on the cultural level of selection (Todorov, 2006). Since then, the concept has evolved and has been used to understand social phenomena, ranging from experimental research to applied studies. The present study investigates how metacontingency studies have evolved by analyzing the co-authorship network analysis of academic publications on metacontingencies, since it was originally presented in 1986. It differs from previous reviews on metacontingencies by looking at academic production as a complex system characterized by evolving network structures interacting with a surrounding environment. The analysis is based on bibliometric data from 212 peer-reviewed articles. It presents an evolving network of academic publication from a temporal perspective, demonstrating the formation of interconnected clusters that do not correspond to national and formal organizational boundaries, as well as an increase of publication beyond the traditional readership of behavior analysis. This network structure is discussed in light of research on network theory (Centola, 2018) highlighting the importance of clusters as spaces of social reinforcement as wide bridges through which complex information may spread. The article also uses culturo-behavior analysis (Sandaker et al., 2019) to discuss the role of structure, function, and processes in the evolution of such collaborative networks. Both network theory and culturo-behavior science provide a framework that permeates the discussion about network growth, the aggregate product of academic cooperation, future directions, and potential risks of this research field.