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GENERALITY OF THE MATCHING LAW AS A DESCRIPTOR OF SHOT SELECTION IN BASKETBALL
Author(s) -
Alferink Larry A.,
Critchfield Thomas S.,
Hitt Jennifer L.,
Higgins William J.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of applied behavior analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1938-3703
pISSN - 0021-8855
DOI - 10.1901/jaba.2009.42-595
Subject(s) - generality , basketball , matching (statistics) , shot (pellet) , selection (genetic algorithm) , psychology , variance (accounting) , sample (material) , matching law , social psychology , artificial intelligence , statistics , computer science , mathematics , economics , chemistry , archaeology , organic chemistry , psychotherapist , history , accounting , chromatography
Based on a small sample of highly successful teams, past studies suggested that shot selection (two‐ vs. three‐point field goals) in basketball corresponds to predictions of the generalized matching law. We examined the generality of this finding by evaluating shot selection of college (Study 1) and professional (Study 3) players. The matching law accounted for the majority of variance in shot selection, with undermatching and a bias for taking three‐point shots. Shots‐election matching varied systematically for players who (a) were members of successful versus unsuccessful teams, (b) competed at different levels of collegiate play, and (c) served as regulars versus substitutes (Study 2). These findings suggest that the matching law is a robust descriptor of basketball shot selection, although the mechanism that produces matching is unknown.