Publications [#288088] of John E. Staddon

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Papers Published

  1. Hinson, JM; Staddon, JE, Matching, maximizing, and hill-climbing., Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, vol. 40 no. 3 (November, 1983), pp. 321-331 [Gateway.cgi], [doi] .
    (last updated on 2025/03/09)

    Abstract:
    In simple situations, animals consistently choose the better of two alternatives. On concurrent variable-interval variable-interval and variable-interval variable-ratio schedules, they approximately match aggregate choice and reinforcement ratios. The matching law attempts to explain the latter result but does not address the former. Hill-climbing rules such as momentary maximizing can account for both. We show that momentary maximizing constrains molar choice to approximate matching; that molar choice covaries with pigeons' momentary-maximizing estimate; and that the "generalized matching law" follows from almost any hill-climbing rule.