HUMAN SENSITIVITY TO REINFORCEMENT IN OPERANT CHOICE - HOW MUCH DO CONSEQUENCES MATTER

The results of many human operant conditioning experiments appear to s how that humans are less sensitive than nonhumans to operant consequen ces, suggesting species discontinuities in basic behavioral processes. A reanalysis of 311 data sets from 25 studies employing variable-inte rval schedules of reinforcement designed to assess sensitivity to rein forcement corroborates the claim that human behavioral allocation amon g alternatives often deviates from predictions based on rates of exper imentally programmed consequences. Close inspection of the studies in question, however, suggests that methodological issues contribute heav ily to the differences noted so far between humans and nonhumans and t hat an explanation based upon species discontinuities is not tenable.