A behaviorist arranges a choice situation in which a rat is exposed to two levers. For every 100 times the rat presses the right lever, it receives seven food pellets. For every 20 times the rat presses the left lever, it receives one food pellet. Both levers produce food on a _____ ratio schedule of reinforcement and rational choice theory predicts preference for the _____ lever.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The reinforcement schedule for both levers is fixed, meaning the number of responses required to receive reinforcement is constant. The rational choice theory predicts that the rat would prefer the lever with the higher rate of reinforcement, which is the right lever (7 food pellets for every 100 presses) rather than the left one (1 food pellet for every 20 presses). Therefore, the best choice is option B, fixed schedule of reinforcement and preference for the right lever.

A Behaviorist Arranges a Choice Situation in Which a Rat