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OPTIMAL CHOICE
Author(s) -
Staddon J. E. R.,
Hinson John M.,
Kram Richard
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
journal of the experimental analysis of behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.75
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1938-3711
pISSN - 0022-5002
DOI - 10.1901/jeab.1981.35-397
Subject(s) - matching (statistics) , initialization , computer science , reinforcement , matching law , operant conditioning , psychology , econometrics , mathematical economics , statistics , mathematics , social psychology , programming language
We present a classification and theoretical analysis of discrete‐trial and free‐operant choice procedures in which reinforcement is assigned to one alternative only, or independently to both, is either always available or conditionally available, and is either “held” or not from trial to trial. Momentary‐maximizing and (globally) optimal choice sequences are defined in terms of initializing and marker events. Free‐operant choice is analyzed in terms of a clock space whose axes are the times since the last A and B choices. The analysis shows that most molar matching data are derivable from momentary maximizing, and that the momentary‐maximizing hypothesis has not been adequately tested in either discrete‐trial or free‐operant situations.