Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Melioration, matching, and maximization.

W Vaughan

    Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
    |September 1, 1981
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Pigeons adjusted their behavior to match the predictions of melioration theory. This study demonstrates how pigeons adapt their response patterns in concurrent key experiments.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Dr. Vaughan, on Malformation.

    The Medical and physical journal·2018
    Same author

    Comments on Marr's determinism.

    The Behavior analyst·2012
    Same author

    Managing finances of shipping living donor kidneys for donor exchanges.

    American journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons·2011
    Same author

    Plasmablastic lymphoma presenting in a human immunodeficiency virus-negative patient: a case report.

    Annals of hematology·2003
    Same author

    Autotransplants in men with breast cancer. ABMTR Breast Cancer Working Committee. Autologous Blood and Marrow Transplant Registry.

    Bone marrow transplantation·1999
    Same author

    A multicenter study of platelet recovery and utilization in patients after myeloablative therapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

    Blood·1998

    Area of Science:

    • Behavioral science
    • Animal cognition

    Background:

    • Theories of choice behavior, including melioration, matching, and maximization, offer different predictions for how organisms allocate responses.
    • Previous research has explored these theories in various experimental settings.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To test the predictive power of melioration theory against matching and maximization in a concurrent key experiment with pigeons.
    • To observe how pigeons adjust their behavior when reinforcement schedules change.

    Main Methods:

    • Pigeons were presented with two concurrently available response keys.
    • Experimental conditions were manipulated to create discrepancies between the predictions of melioration, matching, and maximization.
    • Relative time spent on the right key was recorded.

    Related Experiment Videos

    Main Results:

    • In the initial condition, pigeon behavior aligned with the predictions of all three theories.
    • When conditions shifted, pigeons eventually altered their behavior to fall within the range predicted by melioration.
    • This shift involved a transient deviation from matching and a decrease in reinforcement rate.

    Conclusions:

    • Pigeons' behavior in concurrent key situations is better predicted by melioration theory under the tested conditions.
    • The results support the idea that organisms adjust their behavior to improve local reinforcement rates, even if it deviates from overall matching.
    • This study highlights the dynamic nature of choice behavior in response to changing reinforcement contingencies.