Matching without learning

Abstract

Matching behavior is a phenomenon describing response rate ratios of an organism as a function of their associated reinforcer rate ratios. The generalized matching law (GML), its quantitative formulation, has been frequently found to explain over 80% of the variance in concurrent reinforcement schedules. However, a previous paper found by means of Monte Carlo simulations that matching behavior could be due to environmental constraints on behavior rather than a mere decision-making process. The purpose of the current study is to systemically investigate the influence of constraints induced by concurrent schedules of reinforcement. A Monte Carlo simulation was carried out. Results showed that the GML reached much better explained variances with real (and artificial) organisms than the current simulated results. Thus, a learning process seems partly necessary to generate matching behavior. According to the current findings, concurrent reinforcement schedules clearly induced a quantitative dependency between behavior rates and reinforcer rates. The simulation demonstrates that matching behavior is not only a consequence of a behavioral (decision-making) process, but of environmental conditions also.