MacDonall James S
Department of Psychology, Fordham University, 441 E. Fordham Road, Bronx, NY 10458, United States.
Behav Processes. 2015 Nov;120:40-9. doi: 10.1016/j.beproc.2015.08.007. Epub 2015 Aug 20.
An alternative to the generalized matching equation for understanding concurrent performances is the stay/switch model. For the stay/switch model, the important events are the contingencies and behaviors at each alternative. The current experiment compares the descriptions by two stay/switch equations, the original, empirically derived stay/switch equation and a more theoretically derived equation based on ratios of stay to switch responses matching ratios of stay to switch reinforcers. The present experiment compared descriptions by the original stay/switch equation when using and not using a changeover delay. It also compared descriptions by the more theoretical equation with and without a changeover delay. Finally, it compared descriptions of the concurrent performances by these two equations. Rats were trained in 15 conditions on identical concurrent random-interval schedules in each component of a multiple schedule. A COD operated in only one component. There were no consistent differences in the variance accounted for by each equation of concurrent performances whether or not a COD was used. The simpler equation found greater sensitivity to stay than to switch reinforcers. It also found a COD eliminated the influence of switch reinforcers. Because estimates of parameters were more meaningful when using the more theoretical stay/switch equation it is preferred.
理解并发行为表现的广义匹配方程的一种替代方法是停留/切换模型。对于停留/切换模型，重要的事件是每个选项的应急情况和行为。当前实验比较了两个停留/切换方程的描述，即原始的、基于经验得出的停留/切换方程和一个基于停留与切换反应比率与停留与切换强化物比率相匹配的更具理论性的方程。本实验比较了使用和不使用转换延迟时原始停留/切换方程的描述。它还比较了有和没有转换延迟时更具理论性的方程的描述。最后，它比较了这两个方程对并发行为表现的描述。大鼠在多重时间表的每个组成部分中，在相同的并发随机间隔时间表上接受15种条件的训练。转换延迟仅在一个组成部分中起作用。无论是否使用转换延迟，每个并发行为表现方程所解释的方差都没有一致的差异。较简单的方程发现对停留强化物的敏感性高于对切换强化物的敏感性。它还发现转换延迟消除了切换强化物的影响。由于使用更具理论性的停留/切换方程时参数估计更有意义，因此更倾向于使用该方程。
