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Related Experiment Videos

Levels of aggregation: Relative time allocation in concurrent-schedule performance.

P G Real, L R Dreyfus

    Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
    |January 1, 1985
    PubMed
    Summary

    Analyzing concurrent variable-interval schedules reveals that aggregating time data reduces variability but may obscure local preferences. Overall time allocation might not reflect moment-to-moment behavioral choices.

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    Area of Science:

    • Behavioral psychology
    • Operant conditioning
    • Time allocation studies

    Background:

    • Concurrent variable-interval (VI) schedules are used to study choice behavior.
    • Understanding how behavior aggregates over time is crucial for interpreting experimental results.
    • Previous research has not fully explored the impact of aggregation on time allocation data.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate how aggregating time-series data from concurrent VI-VI schedules affects the analysis of behavior.
    • To determine if aggregated proportions accurately reflect overall and local time allocation.
    • To examine the influence of aggregate size on observed periodicities and trends.

    Main Methods:

    • Computed time proportions for different aggregate sizes within time series data from concurrent VI-VI schedules.

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  • Analyzed variability, modal proportions, and correspondence with overall relative time allocation.
  • Identified periodicities and trends in aggregated time series data.

    • Main Results:

    • Increased aggregate size decreased the variability of obtained time proportions.
    • Modal proportions in aggregated data did not match overall relative time allocation, even at large aggregate sizes.
    • Periodicities were observed at small aggregate sizes, with trends in local preference emerging at larger sizes.

    Conclusions:

    • Overall relative time allocation may represent a molar extreme that doesn't capture the central tendency of time allocation within ongoing behavior.
    • Aggregation methods can influence the interpretation of choice behavior under concurrent schedules.
    • Further research is needed to understand the relationship between molar and molecular levels of behavioral analysis.