5-13 Flashcards
(35 cards)
The Matching Law
in a two-choice situation, the percentage of responses directed toward one alternative will equal the percentage of reinforcers delivered by that alternative
in a two-choice situation, the percentage of responses directed toward one alternative will equal the percentage of reinforcers delivered by that alternative
The Matching Law
Matching Law equation
Ra / (Ra + Rb) = Ba / (Ba + Bb)
R: relative reinforcement rate
B: relative response rate
Ra / (Ra + Rb) = Ba / (Ba + Bb)
Matching Law equation
R: relative reinforcement rate
B: relative response rate
changeover delay
a certain amount of time must pass after a subject switches from one response to another before any reinforcer can be delivered
a certain amount of time must pass after a subject switches from one response to another before any reinforcer can be delivered
changeover delay
deviations from matching: Undermatching
response percentages are consistently less extreme than reinforcement percentages in a choice situation
less intense slope on graph
response percentages are consistently less extreme than reinforcement percentages in a choice situation
less intense slope on graph
deviations from matching: Undermatching
deviations from matching: Overmatching
response percentages are consistently more extreme than reinforcement percentages in a choice situation
more intense slope on graph
response percentages are consistently more extreme than reinforcement percentages in a choice situation
more intense slope on graph
deviations from matching: Overmatching
deviations from matching: Bias
a subject consistently allocates more time or responding to one alternative than predicted by the matching equation
parallel line on graph
a subject consistently allocates more time or responding to one alternative than predicted by the matching equation
parallel line on graph
deviations from matching: Bias
quality of reinforcement
Ba / (Ba + Bb) = Qa / (Qa + Qb)
B: relative response rate
Q: quality
Ba / (Ba + Bb) = Qa / (Qa + Qb)
B: relative reinforcement rate
Q: quality
quality of reinforcement
amount of reinforcement
Ba / (Ba + Bb) = Aa / (Aa + Ab)
B: relative response rate
A: amount (3 food pellets, etc)
Ba / (Ba + Bb) = Aa / (Aa + Ab)
B: relative reinforcement rate
A: amount (3 food pellets, etc)
amount of reinforcement
single schedules
a way to use the matching law to make predictions about behavior on single reinforcement schedules
T1 / (T1 + Te) = R1 / (R1 + Re)
T: time
e: other behaviors besides the pecking that are reinforcing
a way to use the matching law to make predictions about behavior on single reinforcement schedules
T1 / (T1 + Te) = R1 / (R1 + Re)
T: time
e: other behaviors besides the pecking that are reinforcing
single schedules
Theories of Choice Behavior: Matching Theory
animals exhibit matching behavior because they are built to do so.
in any choice situation, an animal might measure the value of the reinforcement it receives from each alternative, and the animal then might distribute its behavior in proportion to the values of the various alternatives
animals exhibit matching behavior because they are built to do so.
in any choice situation, an animal might measure the value of the reinforcement it receives from each alternative, and the animal then might distribute its behavior in proportion to the values of the various alternatives
Theories of Choice Behavior: Matching Theory
Theories of Choice Behavior: Melioration Theory
“make better”
animals will invest increasing amounts of time and/or effort into whichever alternative is better
“make better”
animals will invest increasing amounts of time and/or effort into whichever alternative is better
Theories of Choice Behavior: Melioration Theory
Theories of Choice Behavior: Optimization Theory
an animal will try different ways of distributing its behaviors (e.g. 50% left, 80% left, 90% left), and the animal will eventually settle on the response distribution that maximizes the overall rate of reinforcement
an animal will try different ways of distributing its behaviors (e.g. 50% left, 80% left, 90% left), and the animal will eventually settle on the response distribution that maximizes the overall rate of reinforcement
Theories of Choice Behavior: Optimization Theory