Quantitiative Analysis of Behavior

The quantitative form of the experimental analysis of behavior. This is the dominate scientific approach to behavior analysis. It represents behavioral research using quantitative models. The parameters in the models have theoretical meaning beyond being use to fit models to data. The field was founded by Richard Herrnstein in the 1960s. By 1970, he introduced the Matching Law. The field is quite integrative having models from economics, zoology, and other branches of psychology, especially Mathematical psychology. The emphasis is on animal behavior and the continuty and discontinuty of humans and other animals. The field is represented by the Society for Quantitative Analysis of Behavior.

References

Herrnstein, R. J. (1961). Relative and absolute strength of response as a function of frequency of reinforcement. "Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior", "4", 267-272.

Herrnstein, R. J. (1970). On the law of effect. "Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 13": 243-266.

Influential People in Quantitative Analysis of Behavior

* William Estes
* Richard Herrnstein
* R. Duncan Luce
* John Anthony Nevin
* Howard Rachlin