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Evolving behavioral choice: An investigation of Herrnstein's matching law

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posted on 2023-06-08, 08:49 authored by Anil SethAnil Seth
In 1961, Herrnstein famously observed that many animals match the frequency of their response to different stimuli in proportion to the reinforcement obtained from each stimulus type. Since then, a great deal of research has attempted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this ``matching law'', so far without a clear consensus emerging. Here, we take the view that ``choice behaviour'' is a product of agent, environment, and observer, and that ``mechanisms of choice'' are therefore not to be located solely within the chooser. A simple model, employing the novel methodology of evolving choice behaviour in a multi-agent system, is used to demonstrate that matching behaviour can occur (in stable environments) without any dedicated choice mechanism.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Publisher

Springer-Verlag

Book title

Proceedings of the 5th European conference on artificial life

Department affiliated with

  • Informatics Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Editors

D Floreano, F Mondada, J D Nicoud

Legacy Posted Date

2012-02-06

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