What Effect Does the Number of Firms in an Oligopoly

question 27

Essay

What effect does the number of firms in an oligopoly have on the characteristics of the market?

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Definitions:

Positive Reinforcer

A stimulus which, when presented after a behavior, increases the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.

Reinforce

To strengthen a behavior by providing a consequence that increases the likelihood of the behavior being repeated.

Avoidance Conditioning

A response that prevents the occurrence of a punisher. This increases the probability of a low-occurring response and maintains that response at a high level. The principle of avoidance conditioning states that a behavior will increase in frequency if it prevents a punisher from occurring.

Yelled At

The act of raising one’s voice in a sharp, often aggressive manner, typically as a form of reprimand or expression of frustration towards someone.