Dynamics of pre- and post-choice behaviour: rats approximate optimal strategy in a discrete-trial decision task
Date
2015
Authors
Fam, Justine
Westbrook, Fred
Arabzadeh, Ehsan
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The Royal Society
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.
Description
Keywords
choice, discrete-trial, matching, optimal foraging
Citation
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Source
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Type
Journal article