Demand Equations for Qualitatively Different Foods under Fixed-Ratio Schedules: A Comparison of Three Data Conversions

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Demand Equations for Qualitatively Different Foods under Fixed-Ratio Schedules: A Comparison of Three Data Conversions
Language: English
Authors: Foster, T. Mary, Sumpter, Catherine E., Temple, William
Source: Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. Nov 2009 92(3):305-326.
Availability: Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. Available from: Indiana University Department of Psychology. Bloomington, IN 47405-1301. Tel: 812-334-0395; FAX: 812-855-4691; e-mail: jeab@indiana.edu; Web site: http://seab.envmed.rochester.edu/jeab/index.html
Peer Reviewed: Y
Physical Description: PDF
Page Count: 22
Publication Date: 2009
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Reinforcement, Food, Animals, Behavioral Science Research, Reaction Time, Responses, Comparative Analysis, Equations (Mathematics)
DOI: 10.1901/jeab.2009.92-305
ISSN: 0022-5002
Abstract: Concurrent schedules were used to establish 6 hens' preferences for three foods. The resulting biases suggested wheat was preferred over honey-puffed and puffed wheat, and puffed wheat was the least preferred food. The hens then responded under fixed-ratio schedules for each food in 40-min (excluding reinforcer time) sessions, with the response requirement doubling each session until no reinforcers were received. At the smaller ratios, the less preferred the food, the faster the hens' overall response rates (mainly as a result of shorter postreinforcement pauses) and the more reinforcers they received. The relations between the logarithms of the number of reinforcers obtained (consumption) and the response ratio (price) were well fitted by curvilinear demand functions. Wheat produced the smallest initial consumption (ln "L"), followed by honey-puffed and puffed wheat, respectively. The response requirement at which the demand functions predicted maximal responding (P[subscript max]) were larger for wheat than for the other foods. Normalizing consumption and price, as suggested by Hursh and Winger (1995), moved the data for the three foods towards a single demand function; however, the P[subscript max] values were generally largest for puffed wheat. The results of normalization, as suggested by Hursh and Silberberg (2008), depended on the "k" value used. The parameter "k" is related to the range of the data, and the same "k" value needs to be used for all data sets that are compared. A "k" value of 8.0 gave significantly higher essential values (smaller [alpha] values) for puffed wheat as compared to honey-puffed wheat and wheat, and the P[subscript max] values, in normalized standard price units, were largest for puffed wheat. Normalizing demand by converting the puffed and honey-puffed wheat reinforcers to wheat equivalents (by applying the bias parameter from the concurrent-schedules procedure) maintained separate demand functions for the foods. Those for wheat had the smallest rates of change in elasticity (a, in contrast to the other analyses, the largest P[subscript max] values. Normalizing demand in terms of concurrent-schedule preference appears to have some advantages and to merit further investigation. (Contains 6 tables and 6 figures.)
Abstractor: As Provided
Number of References: 35
Entry Date: 2009
Accession Number: EJ862939
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=EJ862939
    Name: ERIC Full Text
    Category: fullText
    Text: Full Text from ERIC
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ862939
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Demand Equations for Qualitatively Different Foods under Fixed-Ratio Schedules: A Comparison of Three Data Conversions
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Foster%2C+T%2E+Mary%22">Foster, T. Mary</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sumpter%2C+Catherine+E%2E%22">Sumpter, Catherine E.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Temple%2C+William%22">Temple, William</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+the+Experimental+Analysis+of+Behavior%22"><i>Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior</i></searchLink>. Nov 2009 92(3):305-326.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. Available from: Indiana University Department of Psychology. Bloomington, IN 47405-1301. Tel: 812-334-0395; FAX: 812-855-4691; e-mail: jeab@indiana.edu; Web site: http://seab.envmed.rochester.edu/jeab/index.html
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: PhysDesc
  Label: Physical Description
  Group: PhysDesc
  Data: PDF
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 22
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2009
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reinforcement%22">Reinforcement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Food%22">Food</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Animals%22">Animals</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Behavioral+Science+Research%22">Behavioral Science Research</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reaction+Time%22">Reaction Time</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Responses%22">Responses</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Comparative+Analysis%22">Comparative Analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Equations+%28Mathematics%29%22">Equations (Mathematics)</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1901/jeab.2009.92-305
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0022-5002
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Concurrent schedules were used to establish 6 hens' preferences for three foods. The resulting biases suggested wheat was preferred over honey-puffed and puffed wheat, and puffed wheat was the least preferred food. The hens then responded under fixed-ratio schedules for each food in 40-min (excluding reinforcer time) sessions, with the response requirement doubling each session until no reinforcers were received. At the smaller ratios, the less preferred the food, the faster the hens' overall response rates (mainly as a result of shorter postreinforcement pauses) and the more reinforcers they received. The relations between the logarithms of the number of reinforcers obtained (consumption) and the response ratio (price) were well fitted by curvilinear demand functions. Wheat produced the smallest initial consumption (ln "L"), followed by honey-puffed and puffed wheat, respectively. The response requirement at which the demand functions predicted maximal responding (P[subscript max]) were larger for wheat than for the other foods. Normalizing consumption and price, as suggested by Hursh and Winger (1995), moved the data for the three foods towards a single demand function; however, the P[subscript max] values were generally largest for puffed wheat. The results of normalization, as suggested by Hursh and Silberberg (2008), depended on the "k" value used. The parameter "k" is related to the range of the data, and the same "k" value needs to be used for all data sets that are compared. A "k" value of 8.0 gave significantly higher essential values (smaller [alpha] values) for puffed wheat as compared to honey-puffed wheat and wheat, and the P[subscript max] values, in normalized standard price units, were largest for puffed wheat. Normalizing demand by converting the puffed and honey-puffed wheat reinforcers to wheat equivalents (by applying the bias parameter from the concurrent-schedules procedure) maintained separate demand functions for the foods. Those for wheat had the smallest rates of change in elasticity (a, in contrast to the other analyses, the largest P[subscript max] values. Normalizing demand in terms of concurrent-schedule preference appears to have some advantages and to merit further investigation. (Contains 6 tables and 6 figures.)
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: Ref
  Label: Number of References
  Group: RefInfo
  Data: 35
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2009
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ862939
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ862939
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1901/jeab.2009.92-305
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 22
        StartPage: 305
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Reinforcement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Food
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Animals
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Behavioral Science Research
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Reaction Time
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Responses
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Comparative Analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Equations (Mathematics)
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Demand Equations for Qualitatively Different Foods under Fixed-Ratio Schedules: A Comparison of Three Data Conversions
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Foster, T. Mary
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Sumpter, Catherine E.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Temple, William
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 11
              Type: published
              Y: 2009
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0022-5002
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 92
            – Type: issue
              Value: 3
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
              Type: main
ResultId 1