On a concurrent VI 10-sec VR 100 schedule, _____ theory predicts that a pigeon would spend most of its time on the VR 100 schedule and switch over to the VI schedule approximately every 10 seconds. In contrast, _____ theory predicts that the pigeon will spend much more of its time on the VI schedule than is predicted by matching.
A) melioration; maximization
B) maximization; optimization
C) maximization; melioration
D) melioration; optimization

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Maximization theory predicts that an organism will allocate its responses in a way that maximizes overall reinforcement, which would lead to spending more time on the VR 100 schedule due to its higher rate of reinforcement. Melioration theory, on the other hand, predicts that the organism will distribute its behavior towards the schedule that currently provides the highest rate of reinforcement, leading to a preference for the VI schedule due to its consistent reinforcement opportunities.

On a Concurrent VI 10-Sec VR 100 Schedule, _____ Theory