Species differences between rats and pigeons in choices with probabilistic and delayed reinforcers.

Full Abstract

An adjusting-delay procedure was used to study rats' choices with probabilistic and delayed reinforcers, and to compare them with previous results from pigeons. A left lever press led to a 5-s delay signaled by a light and a tone, followed by a food pellet on 50% of the trials. A right lever press led to an adjusting delay signaled by a light followed by a food pellet on 100% of the trials. In some conditions, the light and tone for the probabilistic reinforcer were present only on trials that delivered food. In other conditions, the light and tone were present on all trials that the left lever was chosen. Similar studies with pigeons [Mazur, J.E., 1989. Theories of probabilistic reinforcement. J. Exp. Anal. Behav. 51, 87-99; Mazur, J.E., 1991. Conditioned reinforcement and choice with delayed and uncertain primary reinforcers. J. Exp. Anal. Behav. 63, 139-150] found that choice of the probabilistic reinforcer increased dramatically when the delay-interval stimuli were omitted on no-food trials, but this study found no such effect with the rats. In other conditions, the probability of food was varied, and comparisons to previous studies with pigeons indicated that rats showed greater sensitivity to decreasing reinforcer probabilities. The results support the hypothesis that rats' choices in these situations depend on the total time between a choice response and a reinforcer, whereas pigeons' choices are strongly influenced by the presence of delay-interval stimuli.

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Author information

Author/s: Mazur, James E (JE);

Affiliation: Psychology Department, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT 06515, USA. mazurj1(-atsign-)southernct.edu

Grants: MH 38357 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Journal: Behavioural processes (Behav Processes), published in Netherlands. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Jun; vol 75 (issue 2) : pp 220-4

Dates: Created 2007/04/24; Completed 2007/07/06; Revised 2007/12/03;

PMID: 17343994, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Animals
Association Learning - physiology
Choice Behavior - physiology
Columbidae
Probability Learning
Rats

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