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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. 
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Related Experiment Video

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Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task
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Delayed rewards weaken human goal directed actions.

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Delaying feedback for goal-directed actions weakens their control. Delayed reinforcement reduces action rates and outcome sensitivity, suggesting a weaker action-outcome association crucial for goal-directed behavior.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Behavioral Economics

Background:

  • Goal-directed actions depend on action-outcome associations and outcome value.
  • Habituation diminishes sensitivity to these factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if delayed outcomes weaken sensitivity to outcome revaluation and reduce action rates.
  • To test findings from animal studies in human participants.

Main Methods:

  • Three experiments involving 290 participants.
  • Participants made fictitious investments with immediate or delayed feedback.
  • Outcome values were revaluated after training.

Main Results:

  • Action rates were lower in the delayed feedback condition.
  • Outcome revaluation effects were stronger with immediate feedback.
  • Self-reported action-outcome knowledge was weaker with delayed feedback.

Conclusions:

  • Delays in reinforcement weaken the action-outcome association.
  • This weakening impacts goal-directed control.
  • Findings align with contemporary theories of goal-directed behavior.