How suboptimal is suboptimal choice?
How suboptimal is suboptimal choice?
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DOI：
10.1002/jeab.239
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发表时间：
2017-01
影响因子：
2.7
通讯作者：
Madden GJ
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Hinnenkamp JE;Shahan TA;Madden GJ
在一个经常使用的次优选择程序中，鸽子在一个提供3个食物颗粒的替代品（p = 1.0）和一个提供10个食物颗粒的替代品（p = 0.2）之间进行选择。由于鸽子可靠地选择概率（次优）的选择，这个过程被认为是人类赌博的非人类模拟。本实验进行了评估这一程序的有效性的两个潜在威胁。实验1和2评估鸽子是否以较低的单价获得食物（即，每粒的配克数）上的最优替代品比最优替代品。当鸽子在这种次优的程序下工作时，它们都更喜欢次优的替代方案，尽管有些鸽子在那个替代方案上支付更高的食物价格。在实验2中，当单位价格比更接近的期望值比的倒数，鸽子继续喜欢次优的替代品，尽管它的经济次优。实验3评估，如果在雅阁理论的赌博，估值的次优的替代品增加时，鸽子误认为一个子集的次优的无食物试验的最佳选择。当安排试验序列以尽量减少这些可能的归因错误时，鸽子仍然喜欢次优的选择。这些数据消除了对次优选择过程有效性的两个威胁;这些威胁表明，次优选择反映了经济最大化。
In a frequently used suboptimal-choice procedure pigeons choose between an alternative that delivers three food pellets with p = 1.0 and an alternative that delivers ten pellets with p = 0.2. Because pigeons reliably choose the probabilistic (suboptimal) alternative, the procedure has been proposed as a nonhuman analog of human gambling. The present experiments were conducted to evaluate two potential threats to the validity of this procedure. Experiments 1 and 2 evaluated if pigeons obtained food at a lower unit price (i.e., pecks per pellet) on the suboptimal alternative than on the optimal alternative. When pigeons worked under this suboptimal procedure they all preferred the suboptimal alternative despite some pigeons paying a higher price for food on that alternative. In Experiment 2, when the unit price ratio more closely approximated the inverse of the expected value ratio, pigeons continued to prefer the suboptimal alternative despite its economic suboptimality. Experiment 3 evaluated if, in accord with the string-theory of gambling, the valuation of the suboptimal alternative was increased when pigeons misattributed a subset of the suboptimal no-food trials to the optimal alternative. When trial sequences were arranged to minimize these possible attribution errors, pigeons still preferred the suboptimal alternative. These data remove two threats to the validity of the suboptimal choice procedure; threats that would have suggested that suboptimal choice reflects economic maximization.