Content area
Abstract
Matching law and theory are reviewed, and research examining the matching law for description of human behavior in natural settings is presented. A procedure to quantitatively assess multiple student and teacher behaviors in a classroom setting and to identify teacher behavior that may be reinforcing to specific student behavior is described in a pilot study. Student and teacher behavior rates assessed in the pilot study are fit to the generalized matching law, and evidence is presented supporting the generalized matching law as an accurate descriptor of student behavior in the classroom. A second study utilizing the pilot study procedure to quantitatively measure student behavior and teacher behavior identified as reinforcing to student behavior is conducted. The data are fit to the generalized matching law and additional evidence is provided for the generalized matching law's utility in describing human behavior in an applied setting. The data from the pilot study and Study 2 are fit to Herrnstein's hyperbola, and additional evidence is provided for the utility of Herrnstein's hyperbola in describing human behavior in an applied context. Current implications and future directions of research on matching law are discussed.
