Sur la loi de l’appariement

Abstract

The matching law (Herrnstein, 1961) is the most important model within the experimental analysis of behavior (Forget, Donais, & Giroux, 2001; Mazur, 2006). The purpose of the current study is to critically and synthetically present the model's developments. Through an historic perspective, the study describes the versions of the matching law and their theoretical implications since the 1950s. The five discussed versions are the strict matching law, the quantitative law of effect (Herrnstein, 1970), the generalized matching law (Baum, 1974b), the modern matching law (McDowell, 2005) and the cantatonic generalized matching law (Rachlin, 1971). The theoretical and empirical status of each version is discussed. Thereafter, theoretical developments such as the debate between molar maximization (Rachlin, Green, Kagel, & Battalio, 1976) and melioration (Herrnstein, 1997) and computational models are analyzed. Limits of the generalized matching law, the most used model in the fields, and perspectives for future studies are discussed. Even though the matching law is extensively studied, much is left to experiment. Only future studies will bring lights on these questions.