Response strength and the concept of the repertoire

Abstract

The concept of response probability is central to the task of predicting behavior, whereas the closely related concept of response strength is commonly applied to ongoing overt or covert behavior, as indexed by a variety of typically correlated measures. Consideration of certain behavioral phenomena suggests that the latter concept applies equally to latent behavior. The apparent unity of emitted behavior masks a bedlam of concurrent fluctuations in strength of responses in the repertoire but below the threshold of emission. In problem solving and recall tasks, latent target responses are differentially strengthened by successive probe stimuli until such responses become stronger than myriad competing responses. It appears then that an understanding of seemingly elementary cognitive phenomena requires a consideration of the dynamics of latent responses in the repertoire. Some speculations are advanced about how the strongest of various latent responses can be emitted without blending with competing responses.