Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 18, 2026

An Automated T-maze Based Apparatus and Protocol for Analyzing Delay- and Effort-based Decision Making in Free Moving Rodents
Published on: August 2, 2018
Decision-making in children in the Hungry Donkey Test: A behavioral analysis
Diana Milena Cortes-Patino1, Paulo Sergio Dillon Soares-Filho1, Maria Rocio Acosta-Barreto1
1a Psychology Department, Universidad de San Buenaventura sede Bogotá, Programa de Psicología , Bogotá , Colombia.
Abstract:
This study analyzed choice behavior in the Hungry Donkey Task, with a focus on learning trajectories and the stability of preference, in 100 children of different ages (8-9, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15, and 16-17 years old). The results indicated that (a) learning occurred as the task progressed, (b) early adolescents performed poorly during the task, and (c) most of the participants did not reach the stability criterion during the task. The present study suggests that decision-making in children and adolescents varies with age, and that the inclusion of an operant-based approach (e.g., the use of stability criterion) may improve methods for evaluating decision-making in children.
Related Concept Videos
Decision Making: Traditional Method
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...
Decision Making
Automatic decision-making is fast, intuitive, and relies on gut feelings...
Cognitive Learning
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...

