Collier G H, Johnson D F, Hill W L, Kaufman L W
J Exp Anal Behav. 1986 Sep;46(2):113-36. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1986.46-113.
A corollary of the law of effect predicts that the larger the reinforcement, the greater the rate of responding. However, an animal must eat more small portions than large portions to obtain the same daily intake, and one would predict, therefore, that when eating smaller portions an efficient animal would eat less (conserving time and energy) and/or respond faster (conserving time). The latter of these predictions was supported by the present experiments with free-feeding rats for which portion size (pellet size or duration of feeder presentation) and portion price within meals were varied. Response rate was a function of the unit price (responses/g) of food: Rats responded faster when portions were smaller or when prices were higher. Meal size and frequency were relatively unaffected by unit price, but were influenced by the price of meal initiation. The results are discussed in relation to the economic differences between traditional operant and free-feeding paradigms and to both traditional and more recent formulations of the law of effect.
效果律的一个推论预测，强化物越大，反应速率就越高。然而，动物必须吃更多小份食物而非大份食物才能获得相同的每日摄入量，因此可以预测，当食用小份食物时，高效的动物会吃得更少（节省时间和精力）和/或反应更快（节省时间）。本实验通过对自由进食的大鼠进行研究，改变了餐食中的食物份量（颗粒大小或喂食器呈现时长）和单位价格，支持了后一种预测。反应速率是食物单价（反应次数/克）的函数：当份量较小或价格较高时，大鼠反应更快。餐量和进食频率相对不受单价影响，但受餐食开始价格的影响。本文将结合传统操作条件反射和自由进食范式之间的经济差异，以及效果律的传统和最新表述来讨论这些结果。
