Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 4, 2025
12:09
Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans
Published on: March 19, 2014
23.8K
Extrinsic rewards, intrinsic rewards, and non-optimal behavior
Mousa Karayanni1, Israel Nelken2,3
1Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel. mousa.karayanni@mail.huji.ac.il.
Journal of Computational Neuroscience
|February 5, 2022
Summary
Non-optimal behaviors in animals may stem from intrinsic motivation, not just experimental noise. Understanding these actions offers insights into brain processes and decision-making beyond simple reward optimization.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral neuroscience
- Cognitive science
- Animal behavior
Background:
- Experimental behavior is typically assessed by extrinsic rewards, but non-optimal actions are common across species.
- Current research often dismisses non-optimal behaviors as noise, excluding subjects that don't meet performance criteria.
Discussion:
- Non-optimal behaviors may result from intrinsically motivated actions driven by factors other than extrinsic rewards.
- These intrinsic drives can be conceptualized as intrinsic rewards, leading to decisions optimizing a blend of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards.
- This perspective reframes apparently non-optimal actions as potentially optimal choices within a broader reward landscape.
Key Insights:
- Intrinsic motivation offers a new framework for understanding non-optimal animal behaviors.
- Behavioral optimality can be redefined to include the integration of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards.
- Non-optimal behaviors provide a valuable avenue for exploring underlying neural mechanisms.
Outlook:
- Further research is needed to empirically validate the role of intrinsic rewards in shaping behavior.
- Developing experimental paradigms to differentiate and measure intrinsic rewards is crucial.
- This approach could enhance our understanding of decision-making processes in both animals and humans.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Incentive Theory: Pull Theory of Motivation
578
Incentive theory, or the "pull theory" of motivation, suggests that external rewards primarily drive behavior. Individuals are motivated to engage in activities when they anticipate a desirable outcome. This is why people often work hard for promotions or study intensively to achieve high grades. These incentives can be tangible, physical rewards such as money or promotions, or intangible, non-physical rewards like praise and social recognition.
The theory differentiates between...
The theory differentiates between...
578
01:08Timing and Consequences on Behavior
164
In operant conditioning, the timing of reinforcement is crucial. For animals like rats and cats, immediate reinforcement (within a few seconds) is much more effective than delayed reinforcement. For example, a food reward for a rat needs to follow within 30 seconds of pressing a bar to be effective.
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant...
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant...
164
02:45Self-Discrepancy Theory
18.5K
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
18.5K
01:23Optimal Arousal Theory
338
The optimal arousal theory suggests that performance is maximized when an individual experiences a moderate level of arousal. This theory is closely tied to the Yerkes-Dodson law, which illustrates an inverted U-shaped relationship between arousal and performance. The law, formulated by psychologists Robert Yerkes and John Dodson, implies an ideal arousal level for optimal performance, and deviations from this level can lead to declines in effectiveness.
Inverted U-Shaped Performance Curve
The...
Inverted U-Shaped Performance Curve
The...
338
01:23Primary and Secondary Reinforcers
456
In psychology, reinforcement is a key concept in behavior modification. B.F. Skinner demonstrated this with his experiments involving rats in what is known as a Skinner box. The rats learned to press a lever to receive food, a primary reinforcer that fulfilled their innate need for nourishment.
Effective reinforcers for humans vary depending on the individual and the context. Primary reinforcers, such as food, water, sleep, shelter, and pleasure, have inherent value and satisfy basic biological...
Effective reinforcers for humans vary depending on the individual and the context. Primary reinforcers, such as food, water, sleep, shelter, and pleasure, have inherent value and satisfy basic biological...
456
01:14Fundamental Attribution Error
13.3K
According to some social psychologists, people tend to overemphasize internal factors as explanations—or attributions—for the behavior of other people. They tend to assume that the behavior of another person is a trait of that person, and to underestimate the power of the situation on the behavior of others. They tend to fail to recognize when the behavior of another is due to situational variables, and thus to the person’s state. This erroneous assumption is...
13.3K