The Demand Curve Analyzer: Behavioral economic software for applied research
Grab the free Demand Curve Analyzer to plot and check demand curves as fast as the paid stuff.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Gilroy et al. (2018) built a free computer tool called Demand Curve Analyzer.
The tool turns raw response-rate data into the smooth demand curves you see in behavioral-economics papers.
They checked that the new program gives the same numbers as two pricey commercial packages.
What they found
The free DCA matched the expensive programs point-for-point.
It also adds built-in data checks and ready-to-print graphs, saving hours of Excel work.
How this fits with other research
Lemons et al. (2015) compared two lab boxes for measuring impulsive choice in rats.
Like Gilroy, they asked which tool gives cleaner data; both papers show that picking the right apparatus or software changes your numbers.
Elliott et al. (2026) pooled 32 studies that used matched sensory items to cut self-stim behavior.
If any of those studies ran demand curves with DCA, the meta-analysis quietly rests on Gilroy’s code—an example of today’s big reviews standing on free tools.
Why it matters
If you run demand assessments for treatment planning, download DCA and skip the license fees.
You can screen bad data sets in minutes and hand caregivers a clear picture of how reinforcer value drops as price rises.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Free and open-source software for applying models of operant demand called the Demand Curve Analyzer (DCA) was developed and systematically evaluated for use in research. The software was constructed to streamline the use of recommended screening measures, prepare suitable scaling parameters, fit one of several models of operant demand, and provide publication-quality figures. The DCA allows users to easily import price and consumption data into spreadsheet-based controls and to perform statistical modeling with the aid of a graphical user interface. The results from computer simulations and reanalyses of published study data indicated that the DCA provides results consistent with commercially available software that has been traditionally used to apply these analyses (i.e., GraphPadTM Prism). Further, the DCA provides additional functionality that other statistical packages do not include. Practical issues and future directions related to the determination of scaling parameter k, screening for nonsystematic data, and the incorporation of more advanced behavioral economic methods are also discussed.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 2018 · doi:10.1002/jeab.479