OVERALL MATCHING VERSUS MOMENTARY MAXIMIZING - NEVIN (1969) REVISITED

In experiments permitting choices between 2 reinforcement schedules, responses are typically allocated so as to match the overall obtained relative frequency of reinforcement. In discrete-trial choice experiments, Shimp and Silberberg, Hamilton, Ziriax and Casey observed sequential patterns suggesting that each response was allocated to the alternative with the higher momentary probability of reinforcement. In a similar experiment, Nevin found no such trends in his data, using a different analysis. When Nevin''s original data were reanalyzed according to the method used by Shimp and Silberberg, there was still no evidence of local maximizing patterns; in fact the reverse trend was observed. Overall matching is thus independent of the presence or absence of local maximizing patterns, which suggests that the molar matching law is not derivative from more molecular maximizing processes.