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Incentive theory III: Adaptive clocks.

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

|January 1, 1984

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Incentive theory now explains autoshaping by proposing an "adaptive clock" where reinforcement rates adjust internal clock speed. This unified approach accounts for various experimental findings in animal learning.

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Area of Science:

Behavioral psychology
Animal learning theory

Background:

Incentive theory traditionally explains motivation and reward-seeking behavior.
Autoshaping, a form of associative learning, presents challenges to existing incentive models.
Understanding the mechanisms of autoshaping is crucial for broader learning theories.

Purpose of the Study:

To extend incentive theory to encompass the phenomenon of autoshaping.
To propose a novel mechanism, the "adaptive clock," within incentive theory.
To provide a unified framework for understanding autoshaping experiments.

Main Methods:

Theoretical extension of incentive theory.
Introduction of the concept of an "adaptive clock" with variable speed.
Analysis of how reinforcement rates influence internal clock speed and density calculations.

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Main Results:

The "adaptive clock" mechanism allows incentive theory to account for autoshaping.
Variable clock speed, dependent on reinforcement rates, underpins reinforcement density calculations.
This model aligns with phenomena like the partial-reinforcement extinction effect.

Conclusions:

The proposed "adaptive clock" offers a unified perspective on autoshaping.
This extension enhances the explanatory power of incentive theory in animal behavior.
The model provides a consistent framework for interpreting diverse experimental manipulations in autoshaping.