University of California, Davis.
University of Canterbury, New Zealand.
J Exp Anal Behav. 2020 Mar;113(2):390-418. doi: 10.1002/jeab.583. Epub 2020 Feb 9.
Matching theory is a general framework for understanding allocation of behavior among activities. It applies to choice in concurrent schedules and was extended to single schedules by assuming that other unrecorded behavior competes with operant behavior. Baum and Davison (2014) found that the competing activities apparently are induced by the "reinforcers" (phylogenetically important events, e.g., food) according to power functions. Combined with power-function induction, matching theory provides new equations with greater explanatory power. Four pigeons were exposed to conditions in which 7 different schedules of food delivery were presented within each experimental session. We replicated earlier results with variable-interval schedules: (a) a negatively accelerated increase of peck rate as food rate increased in the low range of food rates; (b) an upturn in pecking at higher rates; and (c) a downturn in pecking at extremely high food rates. When the contingency between pecking and food was removed, the food continued to induce pecking, even after 20 sessions with no contingency. A ratio schedule inserted in place of 1 variable-interval schedule maintained peck rates comparable to peck rates maintained by short interval schedules. We explained the results by fitting equations that combined matching theory, competition, and induction.
匹配理论是理解行为在活动之间分配的一般框架。它适用于同时呈现的选择，并通过假设其他未记录的行为与操作性行为竞争而扩展到单一时间表。Baum 和 Davison（2014）发现，竞争活动显然是根据幂函数由“强化物”（例如食物，从进化角度重要的事件）引起的。结合幂函数诱导，匹配理论提供了具有更大解释力的新方程。四只鸽子被暴露在每个实验会话中呈现 7 种不同的食物传递时间表的条件下。我们复制了先前具有可变间隔时间表的结果：（a）随着食物率在低食物率范围内增加，啄率呈负加速增加；（b）啄食率较高时出现上升；（c）极高食物率时啄食率下降。当啄食和食物之间的关联被消除时，即使在没有关联的 20 个会议后，食物仍会继续引起啄食。在取代 1 个可变间隔时间表的位置插入比率时间表会维持与短间隔时间表维持的啄食率相当的啄食率。我们通过拟合结合匹配理论、竞争和诱导的方程来解释结果。
