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Human choice among five alternatives when reinforcers decay.
Jacob B Rothstein1, Greg Jensen, Allen Neuringer
1Reed College, 3203 SE Woodstock Boulevard, Portland, OR 97202, United States.
Behavioural Processes
|April 9, 2008
Summary
Human participants played a computer game with dependent random-ratio schedules. Reinforcer availability influenced choice behavior, with higher matching function slopes observed when points decayed over time.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral psychology
- Human-computer interaction
Background:
- Reinforcement schedules are fundamental in behavioral psychology.
- Understanding choice behavior under complex schedules is crucial for applied settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how reinforcer devaluation affects choice behavior in a concurrent random-ratio schedule game.
- To compare choice patterns between a condition where reinforcers are held and one where they decay.
Main Methods:
- Human participants completed a computer game task.
- Choices were reinforced using dependent random-ratio schedules.
- Two conditions were implemented: a 'hold' condition with constant reinforcer value and a 'decay' condition with decreasing value.
Main Results:
- Slopes of matching functions were significantly higher in the decay condition compared to the hold condition.
- Inter-subject variability in choice behavior was substantial in both conditions.
- The decay condition differentially reinforced rapid collection of points.
Conclusions:
- Reinforcer devaluation, as simulated by decaying point values, increases sensitivity to reinforcement history.
- Choice behavior under concurrent schedules is influenced by the temporal dynamics of reinforcer availability.
- Further research is needed to explore the high inter-subject variability observed.
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