Toward a law of response strength

A review of approximately 40 experiments on rats, monkeys, pigeons, and, in one case, human beings has found functional relations between some parameter of reinforcement and some measure of response strength. With few exceptions, the obtained functions fit the same mathematical form: Strength of responding appears to be proportional to its relative reinforcement. It is suggested that data are also logically consistent with the matching law for simple choice, according to which the relative frequency of each alternative in a choice matches its relative frequency of reinforcement. (58 ref)