When good pigeons make bad decisions: Choice with probabilistic delays and outcomes

作者：Pisklak Jeffrey M^*; McDevitt Margaret A; Dunn Roger M; Spetch Marcia L

来源：Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 2015, 104(3): 241-251.

DOI：10.1002/jeab.177

• suboptimal choice
• conditioned reinforcement
• delay of reinforcement
• probabilistic choice
• key peck
• pigeons

Pigeons chose between an (optimal) alternative that sometimes provided food after a 10-s delay and other times after a 40-s delay and another (suboptimal) alternative that sometimes provided food after 10s but other times no food after 40s. When outcomes were not signaled during the delays, pigeons strongly preferred the optimal alternative. When outcomes were signaled, choices of the suboptimal alternative increased and most pigeons preferred the alternative that provided no food after the long delay despite the cost in terms of obtained food. The pattern of results was similar whether the short delays occurred on 25% or 50% of the trials. Shortening the 40-s delay to food sharply reduced suboptimal choices, but shortening the delay to no food had little effect. The results suggest that a signaled delay to no food does not punish responding in probabilistic choice procedures. The findings are discussed in terms of conditioned reinforcement by signals for good news.

• 出版日期2015-11