Behavior regulation and learned performance: Some misapprehensions and disagreements.

Dodd (1984) wrote a theory paper. It looked at old data from basic schedule studies.

The author asked: Do animals keep a steady response pattern, not just a steady rate?

The paper says yes. It claims behavior drifts back to a set-point like a thermostat.

The review found pattern matters more than total responses.

When the schedule pushes the pattern off its set-point, the animal shifts behavior.

This feedback loop is called behavior-regulation theory.

Crossman et al. (1985) took the same idea into therapy. They say changing one client behavior can start a self-fixing cascade.

Galizio et al. (2018) and Doughty et al. (2015) later showed variability itself can be reinforced. Their data give the 1984 theory fresh legs.

Nergaard et al. (2020) seem to push back. They argue variability is just a side-effect of reinforcement and extinction, not its own operant. The clash is mostly wording: the 1984 set-point can still hold even if the mechanism is indirect.

You can view problem behavior as a pattern stuck at a bad set-point. Instead of only counting rate, watch the pattern. Shift the contingency until the pattern drifts toward a healthier mix. Try lag schedules or change-over delays to nudge the set-point.