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. 2010 Jan 5;107(1):508-12.
doi: 10.1073/pnas.0907250107. Epub 2009 Dec 4.

Context-dependent utility overrides absolute memory as a determinant of choice

Lorena Pompilio  1 , Alex Kacelnik
Affiliations

Context-dependent utility overrides absolute memory as a determinant of choice

Lorena Pompilio et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. .

Abstract

A core problem of decision theories is that although decisionmakers' preferences depend on learning, their choices could be driven either by learned representations of the physical properties of each alternative (for instance reward sizes) or of the benefit (utility and fitness) experienced from them. Physical properties are independent of the subject's state and context, but utility depends on both. We show that starlings' choices are better explained by memory for context-dependent utility than by representations of the alternatives' physical properties, even when the decisionmakers' state is controlled and they have accurate knowledge about the options' physical properties. Our results support the potential universality of utility-driven preference control.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
(A) Description of Experiment 1 on the left and Experiment 2 on the right. The horizontal rectangles represent the options comprising each context. Context AB: options A and B; Context CD: options C and D. The numbers between parentheses represent seconds of delay to food. The arrows within each context indicate the ranking relationships, pointing toward the lower ranking option in each context. The dotted rectangles describe the choices presented to each subject during the choice phase. (B) Predictions from hypotheses a–e for Tests 1, 2, and 3. The bottom row shows the results obtained in each test.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Mean proportion of choices (±SE) for option C(10s) vs. B(10s) in Test 1 (Experiment 1), for option A(5s) vs. C(10s) in Test 2 (Experiment 1) and for option C(14s) vs. B(10s) in Pre-Training, Choice (Test 3), and Post-Choice phases (Experiment 2).
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Experiment 1: Mean pecks per second in probe trials for options A(5s), B(10s), C(10s), and D(20s). The vertical lines indicate the time bin where food was due for each option.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
Experiment 2: Mean pecks per second in single-option trials at the end of Training and during the Choice phase for options A(5s), B(10s), C(14s), and D(28s). The vertical lines indicate the time bin where food was delivered for each option.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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