Department of Psychology, University of California, 1285 Franz Hall, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1563, USA.
Learn Behav. 2023 Dec;51(4):458-467. doi: 10.3758/s13420-023-00584-2. Epub 2023 May 5.
The present study evaluated the role of inhibition in paradoxical choice in pigeons. In a paradoxical choice procedure, pigeons receive a choice between two alternatives. Choosing the "suboptimal" alternative is followed 20% of the time by one cue (the S+) that is always reinforced, and 80% of the time by another cue (S-) that is never reinforced. Thus, this alternative leads to an overall reinforcement rate of 20%. Choosing the "optimal" alternative, however, is followed by one of two cues (S3 or S4), each reinforced 50% of the time. Thus, this alternative leads to an overall reinforcement rate of 50%. González and Blaisdell (2021) reported that development of paradoxical choice was positively correlated to the development of inhibition to the S- (signal that no food will be delivered on that trial) post-choice stimulus. The current experiment tested the hypothesis that inhibition to a post-choice stimulus is causally related to suboptimal preference. Following acquisition of suboptimal preference, pigeons received two manipulations: in one condition one of the cues in the optimal alternative (S4) was extinguished and, in another condition, the S- cue was partially reinforced. When tested on the choice task afterward, both manipulations resulted in a decrement in suboptimal preference. This result is paradoxical given that both manipulations made the suboptimal alternative the richer option. We discuss the implications of our results, arguing that inhibition of a post-choice cue increases attraction to or value of that choice.
本研究评估了抑制在鸽子的矛盾选择中的作用。在矛盾选择过程中，鸽子会在两个选项之间做出选择。选择“次优”选项，20%的情况下会出现一个信号（S+），该信号始终得到强化，80%的情况下会出现另一个信号（S-），从不得到强化。因此，这个选项导致整体强化率为 20%。选择“最优”选项，随后会出现两个信号（S3 或 S4）之一，每个信号的强化率为 50%。因此，这个选项导致整体强化率为 50%。González 和 Blaisdell（2021）报告称，矛盾选择的发展与选择后刺激（即 S-）的抑制发展呈正相关，S-表示该试次不会有食物提供。本实验测试了一个假设，即对选择后刺激的抑制与次优偏好存在因果关系。在获得次优偏好后，鸽子接受了两种操作：在一种条件下，最优选择中的一个信号（S4）被消除，在另一种条件下，S-信号被部分强化。随后在选择任务上进行测试，两种操作都导致次优偏好降低。这一结果是矛盾的，因为这两种操作都使次优选择成为更有利的选择。我们讨论了我们的结果的含义，认为对选择后信号的抑制会增加对该选择的吸引力或价值。
