Decision making by humans in a behavioral task: do humans, like pigeons, show suboptimal choice?
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.
Université de Lille, Nord de France, Domaine universitaire du "Pont de Bois", rue du Barreau, BP 60149, 59653, Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex, France. mikael.molet@univ-lille3.fr
Mikael
M
Molet
Holly C
HC
Miller
Jennifer R
JR
Laude
Chelsea
C
Kirk
Brandon
B
Manning
Thomas R
TR
Zentall
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D010856:Columbidae; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012309:Risk-Taking; D055815:Young Adult