Rule following as choice: The role of reinforcement rate and rule accuracy on rule-following behavior

Rules can control the listener's behavior, yet few studies have examined variables that quantitatively determine the extent of this control relative to other rules and contingencies. To explore these variables, we employed a novel procedure that required a choice between rules. Participants clicked two buttons on a computer screen to earn points exchangeable for money. During training, participants were exposed to rules from two simulated individuals. Rule compliance was measured using free-operant choice periods. In the test phase, both simulated individuals appeared simultaneously, providing different rules, followed by a free-operant period of extinction to assess participants' preferences. Experiment 1 varied the reinforcement rate associated with each rule provider, showing that participants systematically preferred the rule provider with the highest reinforcement rate. In the control condition without rules, participants' preferences tended toward indifference. Experiment 2 varied rule accuracy. This time, participants' preferences favored the icon correlated with accurate rules. However, preferences were not exclusive to the alternatives instructed by this rule provider and tended to match the reinforcement rate obtained for this rule provider during training. These findings suggest that rule-following behavior is a form of choice governed by the relative distribution of reinforcement available in the listener's environment.