The role of context in risky choice

Abstract

Human choice behavior was assessed in a concurrent-chain schedule, where two equal initial links (IL) each led to a distinct terminal-link (TL). One TL was associated with a fixed ratio schedule of reinforcement, while the other was associated with a bi-valued mixed ratio schedule of reinforcement, whose arithmetic mean equaled the Fixed TL schedule. The fixed component (FR50; FR25; FR5) was arranged to be equal to the alternative mixed component in each condition (FR1/99; FR1/49; FR1/9), and choice behavior was measured by proportion of responses to each IL. In addition, the IL duration varied across conditions (VI 30s; VI 15s; FI 1s). Preference for the mixed option was observed with longer durations (e.g., when IL=VI 30s and TL=FR1/99). Participants were relatively indifferent in other conditions, though the results suggested a monotonic increase in preference as either durations or programmed efforts increased. It is concluded that both choice and the conditioned reinforcement value of the mixed option is contextually based, so that the value of a stimulus correlated with an immediate reward (i.e., FR 1) is enhanced the greater the temporal context in which the FR1 is embedded.

Figure 1

A diagram representing the concurrent chains procedure used for the experiment.

Figure 2

The proportion of responses to the initial link associated with the mixed ratio terminal link across the last 25 trials, holding the initial link constant at VI30s and varying the terminal link values.

Figure 3

The proportion of responses to the initial link associated with the mixed ratio terminal link across the last 25 trials, holding the initial link constant at FI1s and varying the terminal link values.

Figure 4

The proportion of responses to the initial link associated with the mixed ratio terminal link across the last 25 trials, varying the initial link duration and holding the terminal links constant at FR50 while the mixed option was FR1 and FR99.