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Choice and interresponse times
under variable-interval schedules Momentary maximizing holds that animals make choices based on a comparison of moment-to-moment reinforcement probabilities between all alternatives. The choice with the higher probability of reward is then selected. Experiments using concurrent variable-interval (VI) VI schedules of reward have both supported and contradicted the momentary maximizing hypothesis. On the one hand, a sequential analysis of choice sequences tends shows that pigeons generate patterns of responding which approximate that predicted by such a hypothesis (e.g. Silberberg, Hamilton, Ziriax, & Casey, 1978). On the other hand, researchers find no correlation between switch probabilities and preceding bouts of responding, or runlengths (e.g. Heyman, 1979). Two experiments are described which suggest that a pigeon's choice under concurrent VI VI schedules is controlled by the time since the most recent response. Monte Carlo simulations show how this finding permits the joining of selected data both in support and contrary to the momentary maximizing hypothesis. Keywords: Markov chains, momentary maximizing, timing, pigeons |
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