The dynamics of operant conditioning

Existing models of operant learning are relatively insensitive to historica l properties of behavior and applicable to only limited data sets. This art icle proposes a minimal set of principles based on short-term and long-term memory mechanisms that can explain the major static and dynamic properties of operant behavior in both single-choice and multiresponse situations. Th e critical features of the theory are as follows: (a) The key property of c onditioning is assessment of the degree of association between responses an d reinforcement and between stimuli and reinforcement; (b) the contingent r einforcement is represented by learning expectancy, which is the combined p rediction of response-reinforcement and stimulus-reinforcement associations ; (c) the operant response is controlled by the interplay between facilitat ory and suppressive variables that integrate differences between expected ( long-term) and experienced (short-term) events; and (d) very-long-term effe cts are encoded by a consolidated memory that is sensitive to the entire re inforcement history. The model predicts the major qualitative features of o perant phenomena and then suggests an experimental lest of theoretical pred ictions about the joint effects of reinforcement probability and amount of training on operant choice. We hypothesize that the set of elementary princ iples that we propose may help resolve the long-standing debate about the f undamental variables controlling operant conditioning.