Goal-directed control on interval schedules does not depend on the action-outcome correlation

Area of Science:

• Behavioral neuroscience
• Animal behavior
• Learning and memory

Background:

• Goal-directed control is traditionally linked to response-reward rate correlations.
• The precise determinants of goal-directed versus habitual control remain under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if the response rate-reward rate correlation reliably predicts goal-directed control under interval schedules.
• To explore the influence of schedule density and training duration on behavioral control.

Main Methods:

• Rats were trained on various random interval (RI) and fixed interval (FI) schedules.
• Experiments manipulated response-reward rate correlations and reward densities.
• Reward devaluation tests assessed goal-directed behavior.

Main Results:

• Goal-directed behavior persisted regardless of correlation strength in Experiment 1.
• Lower reward densities on RI schedules led to habitual behavior.
• Schedule density and extensive training duration promoted goal-directed control.
• FI schedules facilitated goal-directed responding more than RI schedules.

Conclusions:

• The correlation between response and reward rates is not the primary determinant of goal-directed control.
• Temporal uncertainty, action-outcome contiguity, and reinforcement probability are key factors.
• Extensive training and specific schedule types (e.g., FI) enhance goal-directed action.