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Probabilistic choice: A simple invariance
1Department of Psychology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27706, U.S.A.
Behavioural Processes
|June 14, 2014
Summary
Animal behavior in probabilistic choice tasks, like the two-armed bandit, follows a simple rule: rewards increase choice probability, nonrewards decrease it. This behavior aligns with satisficing, not other choice theories.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral economics
- Animal cognition
- Reinforcement learning
Background:
- Subjects repeatedly choose between probabilistic reward alternatives (two-armed bandit).
- Behavior is influenced by reward and nonreward outcomes.
- A simple stochastic choice rule involves probability changes based on outcomes (reward following).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the underlying principles of animal choice behavior in probabilistic reward scenarios.
- To determine if animal behavior aligns with satisficing principles.
- To compare experimental findings with existing theories of free-operant choice.
Main Methods:
- Experimental manipulation of probabilistic reward schedules.
- Theoretical modeling of choice behavior.
- Comparison of observed behavior with predictions from Bush-Mosteller, molar maximization, momentary maximizing, and melioration (matching) theories.
Main Results:
- Animal subjects exhibit source independence: reward/nonreward effects on choice probability are independent of the specific response.
- Animal subjects exhibit effect-ratio invariance: reward and nonreward effects maintain a constant ratio under fixed conditions.
- These properties align with the definition of satisficing.
Conclusions:
- Animal choice behavior in probabilistic settings is best described by satisficing.
- Existing theories like Bush-Mosteller and melioration (matching) do not fully predict or are inconsistent with the observed behavior.
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