Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

To wait or to respond?

M D Zeiler

    Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
    |May 1, 1993
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Organismal choice between active responding and waiting depends on ecological and motivational factors, not inherent species biases or fixed schedules. Both pigeons and humans adjusted their behavior based on the perceived value and frequency of rewards.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    On sundials, springs, and atoms.

    Behavioural processes·2014
    Same author

    Time without clocks.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·1999
    Same author

    Temporal control in fixed-interval schedules.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·1994
    Same author

    On immediate function.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·1992
    Same author

    Temporal reproduction.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·1989
    Same author

    Two sides of behavior.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·1987
    Same journal

    The Genoeconomics of Impulsive Intertemporal Choice: A Critical Review.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2026
    Same journal

    Shaping the extinction burst: Increasing its probability and preventing its emergence across topographies.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2026
    Same journal

    Evaluating the combined effects of effort and probability on monetary discounting.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2026
    Same journal

    An improved translational approach to studying persistence-strengthening effects of differential reinforcement of alternative behavior.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2026
    Same journal

    Interactions between the effects of food and water motivating operations on concurrent food- and water-reinforced responding in mice.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2026
    Same journal

    Odor-visual and visual-visual matching to sample with dogs.

    Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2026
    See all related articles

    Area of Science:

    • Behavioral Economics
    • Comparative Psychology
    • Decision-Making

    Background:

    • Organisms often face choices between actively seeking rewards and waiting for them.
    • Previous research suggests potential species-specific biases or schedule-dependent effects on these choices.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the factors influencing the choice between responding and waiting in different species.
    • To determine if biases for responding over waiting are inherent or dependent on ecological-motivational contexts.

    Main Methods:

    • Experiment 1: Food-deprived pigeons chose between pecking for food and waiting, with varying food frequencies.
    • Experiment 2: Humans chose between responding for a light/tone stimulus and waiting, with consequences analyzed for payoff maximization.

    Related Experiment Videos

  • Experiment 3: Non-deprived pigeons chose between responding and waiting for food, with free access to food.

    • Main Results:

    • Food-deprived pigeons preferred waiting only when it yielded significantly more food than pecking.
    • Humans exhibited choices consistent with crude payoff maximization, not a bias for responding.
    • Non-deprived pigeons' behavior mirrored human choices, differing from food-deprived pigeons.

    Conclusions:

    • Biases for responding over waiting are not fixed species traits or schedule outcomes.
    • The choice between active search and waiting is modulated by ecological and motivational factors.
    • Behavioral flexibility in decision-making is evident across species when environmental conditions vary.