If one-third of the reinforcer value is obtained for pecking the left key, then the pigeon will put one-third of its pecks on the left key. This is an example of what?
A) symptom substitution
B) the matching law
C) stimulus generalization
D) quantification
E) resistance to extinction
F) all of the above
G) none of the above

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is an example of the matching law, which states that the relative rate of responding matches the relative rate of reinforcement for two or more response options. In this case, because one-third of the reinforcer value is obtained for pecking the left key, the pigeon will put one-third of its pecks on the left key. This is a demonstration of how the matching law can predict behavior in operant conditioning experiments.

If One-Third of the Reinforcer Value Is Obtained for Pecking