Chapter 10: Choice, Matching, & Self-Control

1. Define concurrent schedule.  Why should choice between VR schedules always be exclusive?  Why should choice between VI schedules not be exclusive?  

• Since VI schedules are time based and unpredictable, if you only stick to one alternative it could cause missing reinforces that are available in the other schedule. They would get the maximum amount # of reinforcers and if they only spend time on the richer schedules, they would be waiting for other reinforcers to become available on the leaner schedule (VI-60).  

• Choice should always be exclusive preference for VR schedules because the more you work, the more reinforcement you get. When pigeons have VR, they are smart enough to know that they’ll stick to one alternative that gives them more reinforcement.  

2. Define the Matching Law, undermatching, and overmatching.  

Matching law: the principle that the proportion of responses emitted on a particular schedule matches the proportion of the reinforcers obtained on that schedule.  

Undermatching: the proportion of responses on the richer schedule versus poorer schedule is less different than would be predicted by matching.  

Overmatching: the proportion of responses on the richer schedule versus poorer schedule is more different than would be predicted by matching.  

3. Explain how you could use a concurrent schedule to quantitatively determine if your pigeon prefers mixed grain or pigeon chow.  

If a VI-30 and VI-60 were the schedules the pigeon would view, let’s say the VI-30 was mixed grain and VI-60 was pigeon chow. The reinforcers become available at unpredictable intervals so we can determine by knowing the number of responses on each key, time spent pecking each key and number of reinforcers earned from each key. And then use the matching law to determine preference.  

4. Explain the problem with the concept of “willpower” and contrast it with Skinner’s view of self-control.  

5. Summarize Skinner’s four controlling responses, and also give an example of each. 

Physical restraint = physically manipulate the environment to prevent the occurrence of some problem behavior. E.g: leaving money at home so you will spend less during the evening 

Depriving and Satiating = utilize the motivating operations of deprivation and satiation to alter the extent to which a certain event can act as a reinforcer. E.g: going on diet, shop well after a meal and if you are satiated opposed to hungry, during the shopping less tempted to buy sweets.  

Doing something else = prevent yourself from engaging in certain behaviors it is sometimes helpful to perform an alternate behavior. E.g.: If you are trying to quit smoking, chewing gum.  

Self-reinforcement and self-punishment= reinforce your own behavior. E.g:  

6. Explain how the temporal aspects of reinforcers affect self-control. (Beginning at the end of 393, italics starting with “from a temporal perspective…)  

Lack of self-control arises from the fact that our behavior is more heavily influenced by immediate consequences than delayed consequences.  

7. Identify the kind of function is shown in Figure 10.3, and explain (in your own words) what it predicts about reward value. 

As the delay decreases (reward draws near) the reward value increases slowly at first and then more sharply as the reward becomes more imminent. 

8. Discuss how commitment responses help people exert self-control. Give a specific example of how a commitment response might help you. 

An action carried out at an early point in time that serves either to eliminate or greatly reduce the value of an upcoming temptation. Ex. Read 10 pages a day, share this with friends and if I don’t come through with this then I would feel I'm letting my friends down. Therefore, this will motivate me to read 10 pages a day.