Decision making by humans in a behavioral task: do humans, like pigeons, show suboptimal choice?

Abstract:

:Consistent with human gambling behavior but contrary to optimal foraging theory, pigeons show a strong preference for an alternative with low probability and high payoff (a gambling-like alternative) over an alternative with a greater net payoff (Zentall & Stagner, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 278, 1203-1208, 2011). In the present research, we asked whether humans would show suboptimal choice on a task involving choices with probabilities similar to those for pigeons. In Experiment 1, when we selected participants on the basis of their self-reported gambling activities, we found a significantly greater choice of the alternative involving low probability and high payoff (gambling-like alternative) than for a group that reported an absence of gambling activity. In Experiment 2, we found that when the inhibiting abilities of typical humans were impaired by a self-regulatory depletion manipulation, they were more likely to choose the gambling-like alternative. Taken together, the results suggest that this task is suitable for the comparative study of suboptimal decision-making behavior and the mechanisms that underlie it.

journal_name

Learn Behav

journal_title

Learning & behavior

authors

Molet M,Miller HC,Laude JR,Kirk C,Manning B,Zentall TR

doi

10.3758/s13420-012-0065-7

subject

Has Abstract

pub_date

2012-12-01 00:00:00

pages

439-47

issue

4

eissn

1543-4494

issn

1543-4508

journal_volume

40

pub_type

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