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The effect of reinforcer magnitude on probability and delay discounting of experienced outcomes in a computer game task in humans
Author(s) -
Greenhow Anna K.,
Hunt Maree J.,
Macaskill Anne C.,
Harper David N.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of the experimental analysis of behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.75
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1938-3711
pISSN - 0022-5002
DOI - 10.1002/jeab.166
Subject(s) - discounting , delay discounting , task (project management) , psychology , reinforcement , hyperbolic discounting , value (mathematics) , receipt , function (biology) , social psychology , cognitive psychology , impulsivity , developmental psychology , statistics , computer science , mathematics , economics , management , finance , evolutionary biology , world wide web , biology
Delay and uncertainty of receipt both reduce the subjective value of reinforcers. Delay has a greater impact on the subjective value of smaller reinforcers than of larger ones while the reverse is true for uncertainty. We investigated the effect of reinforcer magnitude on discounting of delayed and uncertain reinforcers using a novel approach: embedding relevant choices within a computer game. Participants made repeated choices between smaller, certain, immediate outcomes and larger, but delayed or uncertain outcomes while experiencing the result of each choice. Participants' choices were generally well described by the hyperbolic discounting function. Smaller numbers of points were discounted more steeply than larger numbers as a function of delay but not probability. The novel experiential choice task described is a promising approach to investigating both delay and probability discounting in humans.