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Soft commitment: self-control achieved by response persistence

E Siegel1, H Rachlin

  • 1Psychology Department, State University of New York, Stony Brook 11794, USA.

Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|September 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Pigeons demonstrated self-control by choosing larger, later rewards over smaller, sooner ones when a commitment strategy was employed. This "soft commitment" involved persisting with a chosen option until reinforcement, unlike strict commitment.

Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Psychology
  • Animal Behavior
  • Decision Making

Background:

  • Pigeons often exhibit impulsivity, preferring immediate smaller rewards over delayed larger ones.
  • Understanding choice behavior and self-control mechanisms is crucial in behavioral economics and psychology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate pigeon behavior and decision-making under different reinforcement schedules.
  • To explore the concept of "soft commitment" as a strategy for achieving self-control in choice tasks.

Main Methods:

  • Pigeons were presented with concurrent schedules of reinforcement offering smaller-sooner versus larger-later rewards.
  • Reinforcement schedules were manipulated, including concurrent continuous reinforcement and fixed-ratio schedules.
  • The effect of response requirements and interruptions on choice behavior was examined.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Under simple choice conditions, pigeons preferred smaller-sooner rewards.
  • When a fixed-ratio schedule required multiple responses, pigeons exhibited "soft commitment," opting for larger-later rewards.
  • Interruptions to the fixed-ratio schedule significantly reduced self-control, leading to increased preference for smaller-sooner rewards.

Conclusions:

  • "Soft commitment," a form of persistence, enables self-control in pigeons by facilitating the choice of larger, delayed rewards.
  • The ability to maintain self-control is sensitive to response requirements and potential interruptions in the choice process.