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RATIO VERSUS DIFFERENCE COMPARATORS IN CHOICE
Author(s) -
Gibbon John,
Fairhurst Stephen
Publication year - 1994
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.1994.62-409
Subject(s) - reinforcement , comparator , variance (accounting) , preference , statistics , mathematics , reinforcement learning , econometrics , inverse , psychology , social psychology , computer science , artificial intelligence , economics , engineering , accounting , voltage , electrical engineering , geometry
Several theories in the learning literature describe decision rules for performance utilizing ratios and differences. The present paper analyzes rules for choice based on either delays to food, immediacies (the inverse of delays), or rates of food, combined factorially with a ratio or difference comparator. An experiment using the time‐left procedure (Gibbon & Church, 1981) is reported with motivational differentials induced by unequal reinforcement durations. The preference results were compatible with a ratio‐comparator decision rule, but not with decision rules based on differences. Differential reinforcement amounts were functionally equivalent to changes in delays to food. Under biased reinforcement, overall food rate was increased, but variance in preference was increased or decreased depending on which alternative was favored. This is a Weber law finding that is compatible with multiplicative, scalar sources of variance but incompatible with pacemaker rate changes proportional to food presentation rate.