Baum W M
Science. 1974 Jul 5;185(4145):78-9. doi: 10.1126/science.185.4145.78.
A flock of free-ranging wild pigeons were trained to peck at buttons which, when operated, allowed brief access to grain. Although only one bird at a time could have access to the buttons, the pecks of the group were treated as an aggregate. When they chose between two buttons, each of which could occasionally produce grain, the ratios of pecks at the buttons approximately equaled the ratios of the grain presentations obtained from them. This accords with a relation well substantiated in the laboratory, the matching law. It suggests that the matching law may apply to the behavior of higher organisms in natural environments.
一群自由放养的野鸽经过训练，会去啄按钮，按下按钮后能短暂获取谷物。虽然每次只有一只鸟能接触到按钮，但这群鸟的啄击行为被视为一个整体。当它们在两个按钮之间做出选择时，每个按钮偶尔都会产出谷物，此时对两个按钮的啄击比率大致等于从它们那里获得的谷物投放比率。这与实验室中充分证实的一种关系——匹配法则相符。这表明匹配法则可能适用于高等生物在自然环境中的行为。
