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

Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness01:14

Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness

4.2K
Avoidance learning and learned helplessness are critical concepts in understanding behavioral responses to negative stimuli.
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
4.2K
Instinctive Drift01:05

Instinctive Drift

1.5K
Instinctive drift refers to the tendency of animals to revert to their innate behaviors despite repeated reinforcement. Breland and Breland demonstrated this concept in an experiment with a raccoon. The raccoon was trained to pick up two coins and place them in a container in exchange for food. Initially, the raccoon learned to associate the coins with food, making them a conditioned stimulus or a substitute for food. However, over time, the raccoon became less willing to put the coins into the...
1.5K
Generalization, Discrimination, and Extinction01:24

Generalization, Discrimination, and Extinction

2.1K
Generalization, discrimination, and extinction are key concepts in operant conditioning that influence how behaviors are learned and maintained.
Generalization occurs when a behavior reinforced in one context is performed in similar situations. For instance, a student who studies diligently for calculus and receives excellent grades might apply the same study habits to psychology and history, expecting similar results. Generalization shows how learning in one setting can influence behavior in...
2.1K
Social Exchange Theory02:06

Social Exchange Theory

26.2K
We have discussed why we form relationships, what attracts us to others, and different types of love. But what determines whether we are satisfied with and stay in a relationship? One theory that provides an explanation is social exchange theory. According to social exchange theory, we act as naïve economists in keeping a tally of the ratio of costs and benefits of forming and maintaining a relationship with others (Rusbult & Van Lange, 2003).
26.2K
Social Exchange Theory01:26

Social Exchange Theory

889
As formulated by John Thibaut and Harold Kelley, Social Exchange Theory explains human relationships as economic-like exchanges that maximize rewards and minimize costs. This theory suggests that individuals engage in relationships to gain benefits and reduce burdens, similar to economic transactions. It has been widely applied to various types of relationships, including romantic, professional, and social interactions.Rewards and Costs in RelationshipsRelationship rewards include emotional...
889
Conservation of Declining Populations02:07

Conservation of Declining Populations

11.5K
Conservation of declining population focuses on ways of detecting, diagnosing, and halting a population decline. The approach uses methods to prevent populations from going extinct.
11.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Association of MBL2 Polymorphisms with HAM/TSP in HTLV-1 Infection: A Case-Control Study Approach.

Archives of medical research·2026
Same author

In Vitro Model of the Human Blood-Brain Barrier to Explore HTLV-1 Immunopathogenesis.

Current issues in molecular biology·2025
Same author

Assessing Motives for Delaying Bedtime: Development and Psychometric Properties of the Reasons for Bedtime Procrastination Scale.

Psicothema·2025
Same author

Self-Efficacy to Regulate Eating Behaviors Scale for Children: A Validation Study.

International journal of environmental research and public health·2023
Same author

Changes in Student's Breakfast and Snack Consumption during the Second COVID-19 Lockdown in Portugal: A Five-Wave Study.

International journal of environmental research and public health·2023
Same author

Changes in Physical Fitness Parameters in a Portuguese Sample of Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A One-Year Longitudinal Study.

International journal of environmental research and public health·2023
Same journal

Time does the teaching.

Journal of experimental psychology. Animal learning and cognition·2026
Same journal

Language learning in canines and toddlers: Shared origins?

Journal of experimental psychology. Animal learning and cognition·2026
Same journal

The role of outcome affective value in driving human Pavlovian learning.

Journal of experimental psychology. Animal learning and cognition·2026
Same journal

Crashing the tea party: Imagining alternative explanations.

Journal of experimental psychology. Animal learning and cognition·2026
Same journal

Static outcomes: Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation at Fp3 or P3 does not modulate perceptual learning as indexed by the intermixed-blocked effect.

Journal of experimental psychology. Animal learning and cognition·2026
Same journal

A method for visual psychophysics based on the navigational behavior of desert ants (Melophorus bagoti).

Journal of experimental psychology. Animal learning and cognition·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 28, 2026

Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear
11:17

Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear

Published on: August 24, 2012

33.1K

Persistence in extinction: the sunk time effect.

Paula Magalhães1, K Geoffrey White1

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Otago.

Journal of Experimental Psychology. Animal Learning and Cognition
|June 4, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Pigeons demonstrate the sunk time effect, persisting with a less preferred option due to time already invested. This persistence occurs even when an escape option is available, highlighting the influence of prior commitment on decision-making.

More Related Videos

Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm
09:00

Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm

Published on: October 3, 2020

3.5K
Reinstatement of Drug-seeking in Mice Using the Conditioned Place Preference Paradigm
08:29

Reinstatement of Drug-seeking in Mice Using the Conditioned Place Preference Paradigm

Published on: June 7, 2018

10.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 28, 2026

Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear
11:17

Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear

Published on: August 24, 2012

33.1K
Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm
09:00

Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm

Published on: October 3, 2020

3.5K
Reinstatement of Drug-seeking in Mice Using the Conditioned Place Preference Paradigm
08:29

Reinstatement of Drug-seeking in Mice Using the Conditioned Place Preference Paradigm

Published on: June 7, 2018

10.8K

Area of Science:

  • Behavioral psychology
  • Animal cognition
  • Operant conditioning

Background:

  • The sunk time effect describes the tendency to persist with an option due to prior investment.
  • Understanding this effect in non-human animals provides insights into fundamental decision-making processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the sunk time effect in pigeons.
  • To examine factors influencing persistence versus escape behavior in a choice task.

Main Methods:

  • Pigeons chose between two keys: one with fixed-interval (FI) food schedules and another offering an escape option.
  • Variables manipulated included cue signaling, extinction, intertrial-interval duration, and FI schedule lengths.
  • Behavioral persistence and escape choices were recorded.

Main Results:

  • Pigeons exhibited persistence in completing the current trial, even when faced with extinction in the longer fixed-interval schedule.
  • This tendency to persist aligns with the predicted sunk time effect.
  • The presence of cues and variations in intertrial intervals did not significantly alter this persistent behavior.

Conclusions:

  • Pigeons display the sunk time effect, prioritizing the completion of a task due to invested time over opting for a more advantageous escape.
  • These findings contribute to the understanding of decision-making under conditions of sunk costs in animal behavior.