In operant conditioning, the matching law is a quantitative relationship that holds between the relative rates of response and the relative rates of reinforcement in concurrent schedules of reinforcement.

The Matching Law is a behavioral principle that states that behavior occurs in direct proportion to reinforcement available for each behavior. Essentially, when 2 or more concurrent schedules exist, preference is shown to the behavior that achieves the highest amount of reinforcement.

Mar 27, 2024 · This blog post will cover how to "identify ways the matching law can be used to interpret response allocation" from B.23 of the 6th Edition BCBA Test Content Outline, formerly known as the Task List (BACB, 2022).

Feb 24, 2025 · The Matching Law is a principle of behavior where behavior is specified to happen in tune with the reinforcement that's provided for every behavior. When there exists more than one schedule, a therapist will show a preference for the behavior that provides them the greatest level of reinforcement.

A hypothetical matching law plot of a client's aggressive behavior and manding. The dashed diagonal line depicts perfect matching. The left side of Equation 1 captures relative rate of responding ( y -axis), whereas relative reinforcement rate …

Jan 4, 2021 · What Is the Matching Law? The matching law lets behavioral therapists or researchers use a formula for behavior, make observations, gather data, and use a systematic approach to hypothesize what a person will do. Equations from the matching law end up with two types of graphs.

Apr 19, 2018 · in operant conditioning, a law that describes the distribution of responses when numerous task options are available. It states that the proportion of responses allocated to an alternative will match the proportion of reinforcement obtained from that alternative.

Dec 20, 2024 · What is the matching law? The matching law is a fundamental principle in behavior analysis formulated by psychologist Richard Herrnstein in the 1960s. It posits that organisms distribute their behavior among different response options in proportion to the reinforcement each option provides.

Jun 19, 2024 · The matching law provides therapists with a framework to design interventions that align with the principles of reinforcement, promoting positive behavior change in individuals receiving ABA therapy.

Savastino and Fantino used human subjects and extended the matching law to ratio and interval contingencies. These experiments contribute to a growing body of knowledge on the matching law and its relevance for human behavior.