Hake, D. F., Vukelich, R., & Olvera, D. (1975).
The measurement of sharing and cooperation as equity effects and some relationships between them.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior,
23, 63-79.
The initial objective was to determine whether an increase in
cooperative responses (minimal cooperation) was also accompanied
by an increase in the degree of correspondence in the number of
reinforcers of the two subjects (maximal cooperation). Correct
matching-to-sample responses of seven pairs of male adolescents
were reinforced with money. On each trial a subject could (1)
give the matching-to-sample problem to his coactor (give or
cooperative responses) or (2) take the problem for himself (take
responses). The first member of the pair to respond made the
choice. Correspondence did increase under this procedure as
compared to a baseline where problems were distributed randomly.
However, the increased correspondence usually resulted from take
responses rather than cooperative give responses This equitable
method of problem distribution, designated as sharing was
characterized by the subjects alternately taking problems. The
spacing of daily sessions may have been partly responsible for
the high degree of correspondence, because correspondence did not
increase within the usual number of sessions when the sessions
were massed, i.e., all in one day. Daily sessions require
cooperative responses, i.e., each subject has to show up each day
for the other to earn money, and this dependency upon the
coactor's behavior may facilitate some sharing or cooperation to
ensure the coactor's attendance.