Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 12, 2026
09:12
Three Laboratory Procedures for Assessing Different Manifestations of Impulsivity in Rats
Published on: March 17, 2019
10.5K
Steady-state choice between four alternatives obeys the constant-ratio rule
Joshua Bensemann1, Brenda Lobb1, Christopher A Podlesnik1
1The University of Auckland.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|May 20, 2015
Summary
Violations to the constant-ratio rule in reinforcement procedures are less common in steady-state environments. In rapidly changing conditions, choice is more influenced by recent reinforcers.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral psychology
- Animal behavior studies
Background:
- The generalized matching law (GML) is a key model in behavioral psychology.
- The constant-ratio rule, an assumption of GML, is often violated in procedures with frequent changes in reinforcer ratios.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the reasons behind violations to the constant-ratio rule.
- To compare responding in steady-state versus frequently changing reinforcement procedures.
Main Methods:
- Six pigeons were subjects in a four-alternative concurrent-schedule experiment.
- Variable-interval schedules with a reinforcer-rate ratio of 27:9:3:1 were used.
- Procedures included steady-state and frequently changing (every 10 reinforcers) schedule locations.
Main Results:
- Responding adhered to the constant-ratio rule in the steady-state procedure.
- In frequently changing procedures, preference shifted towards the just-reinforced alternative.
- In steady-state, preference shifted towards the alternative likely to yield the next reinforcer.
Conclusions:
- The effect of reinforcement on preference differs significantly between rapidly changing and steady-state environments.
- Choice behavior is more influenced by reinforcer-generated signals when reinforcement contingencies change frequently.
Related Concept Videos
01:34Woodward–Hoffmann Selection Rules and Microscopic Reversibility
4.2K
Electrocyclic reactions, cycloadditions, and sigmatropic rearrangements are concerted pericyclic reactions that proceed via a cyclic transition state. These reactions are stereospecific and regioselective. The stereochemistry of the products depends on the symmetry characteristics of the interacting orbitals and the reaction conditions. Accordingly, pericyclic reactions are classified as either symmetry-allowed or symmetry-forbidden. Woodward and Hoffmann presented the selection criteria for...
4.2K
01:09Decision Making: P-value Method
7.4K
The process of hypothesis testing based on the P-value method includes calculating the P- value using the sample data and interpreting it.
First, a specific claim about the population parameter is proposed. The claim is based on the research question and is stated in a simple form. Further, an opposing statement to the claim is also stated. These statements can act as null and alternative hypotheses: a null hypothesis would be a neutral statement while the alternative hypothesis can...
First, a specific claim about the population parameter is proposed. The claim is based on the research question and is stated in a simple form. Further, an opposing statement to the claim is also stated. These statements can act as null and alternative hypotheses: a null hypothesis would be a neutral statement while the alternative hypothesis can...
7.4K
02:31Multi-Step Reactions
9.1K
Chemical reactions often occur in a stepwise fashion involving two or more distinct reactions taking place in a sequence. A balanced equation indicates the reacting species and the product species, but it reveals no details about how the reaction occurs at the molecular level. The reaction mechanism (or reaction path) provides details regarding the precise, step-by-step process by which a reaction occurs. Each of the steps in a reaction mechanism is called an elementary reaction. These...
9.1K
01:31Alternative Sets of Equilibrium Equations
1.1K
When analyzing the behavior of structures, engineers often rely on the concept of equilibrium. This refers to the state where all forces and moments acting on a system balance each other, resulting in no net movement or rotation. In many cases, equilibrium can be described by a set of standard equations. However, in some situations, alternative sets of equilibrium equations must be used to describe the system's behavior accurately.
One example of such a situation can be observed in a...
One example of such a situation can be observed in a...
1.1K
01:29Reaction Mechanisms: Rate-limiting Step Approximation
77
The rate-determining step, or RDS, in a chemical reaction is the slowest step that determines the overall reaction rate. It is identified by using the observed rate law and typically involves approximation methods like the RDS approximation or the steady-state approximation.In the RDS approximation, also known as the rate-limiting-step or equilibrium approximation, the reaction mechanism consists of one or more reversible reactions near equilibrium, followed by a slower RDS, and then one or...
77
03:25Free Energy Changes for Nonstandard States
14.0K
The free energy change for a process taking place with reactants and products present under nonstandard conditions (pressures other than 1 bar; concentrations other than 1 M) is related to the standard free energy change according to this equation:
14.0K