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On the Tautology of the Matching Law

Overview
Journal J Exp Anal Behav
Specialties Psychology
Social Sciences
Date 1971 Mar 1
PMID 16811511
Citations 62
Authors
H Rachlin
Affiliations
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Abstract

The generalized matching law, that organisms divide their time between alternatives in proportion to the value of the reinforcement consequent on the choice, is derivable from the assumption that an organism choosing between alternatives is under no constraints except those the contingencies of reinforcement impose. Hence, the law is not subject to empirical test. Its value lies in its simple codification of assumptions underlying choice experiments.

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