Matching in a network.

Pigeons were given practice choosing between pairs of alternatives yielding different frequencies of reinforcement. Four individual alternatives were set into four pairwise choices. Averaged over subjects, the distribution of responses in each choice approximated matching. The four individual alternatives were then presented, two by two, in two pairwise choices for which there had been no initial practice. No further reinforcement was given during the tests with the new pairs. Transfer to the two test pairs deviated systematically from matching in most cases by exaggerating the preference for the alternative that had had the higher frequency of reinforcement.