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Estimation of indifference points with an adjusting-delay procedure.

J E Mazur1

  • 1Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138.

Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|January 1, 1988
PubMed
Summary

Pigeons chose between grain access times, with delays adjusted to find an indifference point. Most procedural changes didn't affect this point, but larger delay step sizes increased variability and distorted estimates.

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Area of Science:

  • Behavioral economics
  • Animal behavior research
  • Decision-making studies

Background:

  • Pigeons are often used as models for understanding choice behavior.
  • Determining indifference points is crucial for understanding value-based decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how procedural variations affect indifference point estimation in pigeons.
  • To identify which procedural features are robust and which can distort choice behavior outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Pigeons chose between two grain access durations (1.5s, 3s) with variable delays.
  • An adjusting-delay procedure modified delays to estimate indifference points.
  • Four procedural features were manipulated: trial duration, required responses, delay update frequency, and step size.

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Main Results:

  • Varying trial duration, required responses, or update frequency did not systematically alter indifference points.
  • Increasing the step size of delay adjustments led to greater within-session variability.
  • A large step size (6s) resulted in inflated indifference-point estimates for some pigeons.

Conclusions:

  • Indifference point estimates in pigeons are robust to several procedural variations within limits.
  • Large step sizes in delay adjustment procedures can introduce systematic bias and increase variability.
  • Careful consideration of procedural parameters, particularly step size, is necessary for accurate decision-making research.