Gilroy Shawn P, Waits Jodie A, Feck Cassie
Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University.
J Appl Behav Anal. 2021 Jun;54(3):1032-1044. doi: 10.1002/jaba.826. Epub 2021 Mar 11.
This study extended earlier research on stimulus preference (SP) and reinforcer efficacy (RE) using the behavioral economic concept of elasticity. The elasticity of demand for different items can be used to simultaneously compare RE across stimuli and schedules of reinforcement. Highly preferred stimuli were identified via SP assessments and evaluated using progressive-ratio reinforcer assessments. Reinforcers were then evaluated across the ranges of elasticity in individual reinforcer evaluations. Results indicated that schedules associated with the ranges of elasticity (e.g., inelastic vs. elastic) corresponded with rates of the targeted behavior (i.e., work) and these trends were consistent with behavioral economic predictions. These findings encourage further inquiry and replication of operant demand methods to identify potential boundary conditions for stimuli identified using SP assessments. Discussion is provided regarding the efficiency of reinforcer assessment and the utility of schedules found to exist in the elastic and inelastic ranges.
本研究运用行为经济学的弹性概念，扩展了早期关于刺激偏好（SP）和强化物效能（RE）的研究。不同物品的需求弹性可用于同时比较不同刺激和强化程序下的强化物效能。通过刺激偏好评估确定高度偏好的刺激，并使用累进比率强化物评估进行评估。然后在个体强化物评估的弹性范围内对强化物进行评估。结果表明，与弹性范围（如无弹性与有弹性）相关的程序与目标行为（即工作）的速率相对应，且这些趋势与行为经济学的预测一致。这些发现鼓励进一步探究和复制操作性需求方法，以确定使用刺激偏好评估所识别刺激的潜在边界条件。文中还讨论了强化物评估的效率以及在弹性和无弹性范围内发现的程序的效用。
