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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Assessment of Mouse Judgment Bias through an Olfactory Digging Task

Assessment of Mouse Judgment Bias through an Olfactory Digging Task

Published on: March 4, 2022

Optimistic biases in observational learning of value.

A Nicolle¹, M Symmonds, R J Dolan

¹Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at UCL, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK. a.nicolle@fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk

|March 1, 2011

Summary

Observational learning leads to overvaluing low-value choices, unlike direct operant learning. This optimism bias in observational value learning may stem from underestimating negative event likelihood.

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Neuroscience
Behavioral Economics

Background:

Action-outcome contingencies are learned through active trial-and-error (operant learning) or observing others (observational learning).
Previous research has not clearly determined which learning mode is more effective.
Controlled comparisons between operant and observational learning are scarce.

Purpose of the Study:

To contrast human operant and observational value learning.
To assess implicit and explicit measures of learning from positive and negative reinforcement.
To identify differences in learning biases between active and vicarious learning.

Main Methods:

Comparative study design contrasting operant and observational learning paradigms.
Utilized both implicit (choice preferences) and explicit (post-hoc estimates) measures of value.
Included learning from both positive and negative reinforcement.

Main Results:

Observational learning resulted in an optimistic over-valuation of low-value options compared to operant learning.
This bias was evident in both choice behavior and explicit value judgments.
No significant bias was observed for learning of higher-value options.

Conclusions:

Observational value learning is prone to an optimism bias, particularly for less rewarding options.
This bias may arise from an underestimation of negative outcomes, which is mitigated by direct operant learning.
Findings highlight distinct mechanisms in active versus vicarious learning of value.