title: Dynamics of pre- and post-choice behaviour: rats approximate optimal strategy in a discrete-trial decision task.
abstract: We simulate two types of environments to investigate how closely rats approximate optimal foraging. Rats initiated a trial where they chose between two spouts for sucrose, which was delivered at distinct probabilities. The discrete trial procedure used allowed us to observe the relationship between choice proportions, response latencies and obtained rewards. Our results show that rats approximate the optimal strategy across a range of environments that differ in the average probability of reward as well as the dynamics of the depletion-renewal cycle. We found that the constituent components of a single choice differentially reflect environmental contingencies. Post-choice behaviour, measured as the duration of time rats spent licking at the spouts on unrewarded trials, was the most sensitive index of environmental variables, adjusting most rapidly to changes in the environment. These findings have implications for the role of confidence in choice outcomes for guiding future choices.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia j.fam@unsw.edu.au.
authors.forename: Justine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fam
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Westbrook
authors.affiliation: Eccles Institute of Neuroscience, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
authors.forename: Ehsan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arabzadeh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D003657:Decision Making; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011336:Probability; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011930:Reaction Time; D012201:Reward
keywords: choice; discrete-trial; matching; optimal foraging