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Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior logoLink to Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
. 1981 Jul;36(1):21–27. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1981.36-21

Undermatching and overmatching: The fixed-ratio changeover requirement

Stanley S Pliskoff, J Gregor Fetterman
PMCID: PMC1333049  PMID: 16812229

Abstract

Concurrent variable-interval two-minute and six-minute schedules were arranged while the fixed-ratio changeover requirement was varied among one, two, and four responses. A four-response requirement produced overmatching in the response and time data. A one-response requirement produced consistent undermatching in the time data but mixed results in the response data. The two-response requirement showed undermatching in the time data and overmatching in the response data. The results are discussed in relation to previous research using changeover requirements of five and ten responses, which produced clear tendencies toward overmatching, especially with response data. Taken together, these findings suggest that matching is not a unique result, and that undermatching or overmatching can be produced by continuous variation of the changeover requirements.

Keywords: concurrent schedules, matching, over- and undermatching, fixed-ratio changeover, pigeons

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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