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The substitutability of reinforcers
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|July 1, 1993
Summary
Substitutability, a concept from economics, explains how different rewards interact. Understanding this continuum of reinforcer interactions improves predictions in behavioral science and enhances models of choice.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral science
- Microeconomics
- Psychology
Background:
- Substitutability describes the trade-off between different reinforcers.
- Reinforcers range from highly substitutable to complementary.
- Independent reinforcers do not affect each other's consumption.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the application of substitutability in psychological research.
- To enhance behavior-analytic models of choice using substitutability.
- To gain new insights into various human and nonhuman behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing standard operant conditioning paradigms.
- Observing choices between alternative reinforcers in humans and nonhumans.
- Analyzing the continuum of reinforcer interactions.
Main Results:
- Behavior-analytic models better accommodate and predict reinforcer interactions when considering substitutability.
- Substitutability provides new insights into areas like eating, drinking, brain stimulation, and addiction.
- The generalized matching law is more comprehensive with substitutability measures.
Conclusions:
- Substitutability is a valuable construct for understanding choice behavior.
- Integrating substitutability enhances the explanatory power of behavioral models.
- This framework offers a unified approach to diverse behavioral phenomena.
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