A rat placed in a chamber with two response levers, each operating on a variable-interval schedule and with one that pays off approximately 5 reinforcers per minute and a second that pays off approximately 10 reinforcers per minute, will most likely distribute its behavior as:
A) 100% of responses to the lever that gives 10 reinforcers per minute
B) 75% of responses to the lever that gives 10 reinforcers per minute
C) 67% of responses to the lever that gives 10 reinforcers
D) 50% of responses to the lever that gives 10 reinforcers per minute

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The rat is likely to distribute its behavior according to the matching law, which suggests that the proportion of responses on a lever will match the proportion of reinforcers obtained from that lever. Since one lever provides twice as many reinforcers per minute (10 vs. 5), the rat will likely allocate two-thirds (or approximately 67%) of its responses to the more lucrative lever.

A Rat Placed in a Chamber with Two Response Levers