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 Concept Videos

Decision Making: P-value Method01:09

Decision Making: P-value Method

The process of hypothesis testing based on the P-value method includes calculating the P- value using the sample data and interpreting it.
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...
Decision Making: Traditional Method01:14

Decision Making: Traditional Method

The process of hypothesis testing based on the traditional method includes calculating the critical value, testing the value of the test statistic using the sample data, and interpreting these values.
First, a specific claim about the population parameter is decided based on the research question and is stated in a simple form. Further, an opposing statement to this claim is also stated. These statements can act as null and alternative hypotheses, out of which a null hypothesis would be a...
Reason and Intuition01:37

Reason and Intuition

The human brain processes information for decision-making using one of two routes: an intuitive system and a rational system (Epstein, 1994; popularized by Kahneman, 2011 as System 1 and System 2, respectively). The intuitive system is quick, impulsive, and operates with minimal effort, relying on emotions or habits to provide cues for what to do next, while the rational system is logical, analytical, deliberate, and methodical. Research in neuropsychology suggests that the brain can only use...
Decision Making01:20

Decision Making

Decision-making is a fundamental cognitive process that involves evaluating alternatives and selecting among them. This process can range from simple choices, such as deciding what to wear, to complex decisions, like choosing a major in college or a career path. The complexity of the decision often dictates the approach we use, which can be broadly categorized into two types: automatic and controlled decision-making.
Automatic decision-making is fast, intuitive, and relies on gut feelings...
The Anchoring-and-Adjustment Heuristic01:25

The Anchoring-and-Adjustment Heuristic

In order to make good decisions, we use our knowledge and our reasoning. Often, this knowledge and reasoning is sound and solid. However, sometimes, we are swayed by biases or by others manipulating a situation. For example, let’s say you and three friends wanted to rent a house and had a combined target budget of $1,600. The realtor shows you only very run-down houses for $1,600 and then shows you a very nice house for $2,000. Might you ask each person to pay more in rent to get the $2,000...
Mechanistic Models: Compartment Models in Algorithms for Numerical Problem Solving01:29

Mechanistic Models: Compartment Models in Algorithms for Numerical Problem Solving

Mechanistic models play a crucial role in algorithms for numerical problem-solving, particularly in nonlinear mixed effects modeling (NMEM). These models aim to minimize specific objective functions by evaluating various parameter estimates, leading to the development of systematic algorithms. In some cases, linearization techniques approximate the model using linear equations.
In individual population analyses, different algorithms are employed, such as Cauchy's method, which uses a...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Decade effects in mental addition.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2025
Same author

Effect of high-altitude exposure on skeletal muscle mitochondrial subcellular distribution, ultrastructure, and respiration in sea-level residents.

Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)·2025
Same author

Humans learn generalizable representations through efficient coding.

Nature communications·2025
Same author

Efficient visual representations for learning and decision making.

Psychological review·2024
Same author

Does Stimulus Category Coherence Influence Visual Working Memory? A Rational Analysis.

Cognitive science·2024
Same author

Non-transgenic guinea pig strains exhibit divergent age-related changes in hippocampal mitochondrial respiration.

Acta physiologica (Oxford, England)·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 16, 2026

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
08:24

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies

Published on: August 25, 2023

Melioration as rational choice: sequential decision making in uncertain environments.

Chris R Sims1, Hansjörg Neth, Robert A Jacobs

  • 1Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, NY, USA. csims@cvs.rochester.edu

Psychological Review
|December 13, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Melioration, choosing short-term gains over long-term ones, is common in humans and pigeons. This study suggests melioration may be optimal choice under uncertainty, not irrational behavior.

More Related Videos

Measuring the Subjective Value of Risky and Ambiguous Options using Experimental Economics and Functional MRI Methods
13:04

Measuring the Subjective Value of Risky and Ambiguous Options using Experimental Economics and Functional MRI Methods

Published on: September 19, 2012

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 16, 2026

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
08:24

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies

Published on: August 25, 2023

Measuring the Subjective Value of Risky and Ambiguous Options using Experimental Economics and Functional MRI Methods
13:04

Measuring the Subjective Value of Risky and Ambiguous Options using Experimental Economics and Functional MRI Methods

Published on: September 19, 2012

Area of Science:

  • Behavioral economics
  • Decision science
  • Cognitive psychology

Background:

  • Melioration, prioritizing immediate rewards over larger future gains, is observed in both humans and pigeons.
  • This behavior is often misconstrued as a violation of economic rationality.
  • However, in complex, uncertain environments, the learning process may alter the perception of optimal choice.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate human decision-making in a sequential task known to induce melioration.
  • To re-evaluate melioration not as irrationality but as a potentially optimal strategy in uncertain environments.
  • To explore the origins of meliorating behavior through rational analysis.

Main Methods:

  • Human participants engaged in a sequential decision-making experiment.
  • Behavioral data was collected to identify decision strategies and biases.
  • A rational analysis framework was applied to model the learning problem under uncertainty.

Main Results:

  • The majority of participants exhibited a bias toward melioration, failing to adopt the optimal strategy.
  • Rational analysis indicated that melioration can be an optimal response strategy for maximizing long-term gains in uncertain environments.
  • This challenges the traditional view of melioration as purely irrational.

Conclusions:

  • Meliorating behavior in humans and pigeons may represent a rational strategy for navigating uncertainty.
  • Documented instances of melioration could be reinterpreted as globally optimal choices rather than suboptimal decision-making.
  • Understanding the learning dynamics in uncertain environments is crucial for evaluating choice behavior.