Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 5, 2026

A Conflict Model of Reward-seeking Behavior in Male Rats
Published on: February 20, 2019
The reward value of near-miss situations
1Department of Psychology, University of Tromsø, 9037 Tromsø, Norway. frodes@psyk.uit.no
Abstract:
What is a "positive" outcome? Clearly, obtaining something attractive is regarded as positive, but so is avoiding something negative. The present paper compared these two types of situations in scenario-type evaluations. Participants rated positive (P), avoiding negative (AN), and negative (N) outcomes in terms of luck (Experiment 1) and overall positive/negative evaluations (Experiments 2 and 3). The results demonstrated that evaluations of P and AN outcomes were judged as equally positive, but the emotional basis for these evaluations was very different: The feeling of relief was the dominating emotion in AN situations, whereas joy was the dominating emotion in P situations. Overall, these results indicate that avoidance-induced reward value may be important as a motivating factor in cognition and action.
Related Concept Videos
Decision Making: P-value Method
First, a specific claim about the population parameter is proposed. The claim is based on the research question and is stated in a simple form. Further, an opposing statement to the claim is also stated. These statements can act as null and alternative hypotheses: a null hypothesis would be a neutral statement while the alternative hypothesis can have a...
Unusual Results
According to the range rule of thumb, any value above or below two standard deviations, 2σ from the mean, μ is considered unusual.
Maximum unusual value = μ + 2σ
Minimum unusual value...
Expected Value
Hindsight Biases
P-value
P-value stands for the probability value. P-value is the probability that, if the null hypothesis is true, the results from another randomly selected sample will be as extreme or more extreme as the results obtained from the given sample.
A large P-value calculated from the data indicates to not reject the null hypothesis. But a higher P-value does not mean that the null hypothesis is true. The smaller the P-value, the more unlikely...
Timing and Consequences on Behavior
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant factor...

