title: The behavioral economics of choice and interval timing.
abstract: The authors propose a simple behavioral economic model (BEM) describing how reinforcement and interval timing interact. The model assumes a Weber-law-compliant logarithmic representation of time. Associated with each represented time value are the payoffs that have been obtained for each possible response. At a given real time, the response with the highest payoff is emitted. The model accounts for a wide range of data from procedures such as simple bisection, metacognition in animals, economic effects in free-operant psychophysical procedures, and paradoxical choice in double-bisection procedures. Although it assumes logarithmic time representation, it can also account for data from the time-left procedure usually cited in support of linear time representation. It encounters some difficulties in complex free-operant choice procedures, such as concurrent mixed fixed-interval schedules as well as some of the data on double bisection, which may involve additional processes. Overall, BEM provides a theoretical framework for understanding how reinforcement and interval timing work together to determine choice between temporally differentiated reinforcers.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Educação e Psicologia, Universidadedo Minho, Braga, Portugal. jeremie@iep.uminho.pt
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jozefowiez
authors.forename: J E R
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Staddon
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Cerutti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002755:Choice Behavior; D010856:Columbidae; D003216:Conditioning, Operant; D004056:Differential Threshold; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009042:Motivation; D011337:Probability Learning; D011601:Psychophysics; D051381:Rats; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D013998:Time Perception