Variability, stability, and the law of effect.

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Science
• Neuroscience
• Computer Science

Background:

• Thorndike's Law of Effect states rewards strengthen behaviors.
• This law obscures whether rewarded behaviors increase in frequency or decrease in variability.
• Research on behavioral variability presents a theoretical puzzle with conflicting findings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how reward affects behavioral frequency and variability.
• To resolve the puzzle of whether behavioral variability decreases or fluctuates with consistent reward.
• To understand the dynamic balance between behavioral stability and exploration.

Main Methods:

• Developed a novel experimental task for pigeons.
• Monitored sequential pecking of five distinct touchscreen buttons.
• Collected data over 250 sessions with all sequences delivering food reward.

Main Results:

• Pigeons decreased the diversity of sequences performed.
• Pigeons continued to perform many different sequences.
• Dominant sequences showed frequent rises and falls in performance.

Conclusions:

• Consistently rewarded behavior balances stability (Law of Effect) and variability (exploration).
• This balance, termed 'the edge of chaos,' ensures reliable reward acquisition and flexibility.
• This principle may apply across behavioral science, neuroscience, and computer science.