Repetitive pressing of elevator call buttons is driven by psychological reinforcement schedules.
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
confidence 87/100
Repetitive pressing of elevator buttons is well-explained by psychological reinforcement schedules, where variable or delayed outcomes maintain persistent operant responding.
Evidence for · 5
Reward-Guided Learning with and without Causal Attribution.
2016 · cited by 76
Demonstrates that humans deploy heuristic and reinforcement learning mechanisms in parallel based on statistical patterns and rewards.
See more details
More for · 4
Variable-ratio conditioning history produces high- and low-rate fixed-interval performance in rats.
1989 · cited by 45
Shows how reinforcement history shapes persistent response-rate patterns in subjects responding to fixed or variable schedules.
Development and modification of a response class via positive and negative reinforcement: a translational approach.
2010 · cited by 7
Establishes a laboratory model of response classes maintained by reinforcement schedules where subjects select effortful or repetitive actions based on outcomes.
Bridging the gap between laboratory and applied research on response-independent schedules.
2023 · cited by 4
Discusses how response-independent schedules and adventitious reinforcement historically explain persistent repetitive behaviors.
Induced Water Drinking during a Discrete Trial Procedure Using a Variable-Ratio Schedule of Reinforcement with a Canine
cited by 0
Indicates that variable-ratio schedules of reinforcement reliably induce persistent, repetitive behaviors across various species.