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Reward context determines risky choice in pigeons and humans

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Ludvig, Elliot Andrew, Madan, Christopher R., Pisklak, Jeffrey M. and Spetch, Marcia Louise (2014) Reward context determines risky choice in pigeons and humans. Biology Letters, Volume 10 (Number 8). Article Number 20140451. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2014.0451

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2014.0451

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Abstract

Whereas humans are risk averse for monetary gains, other animals can be risk seeking for food rewards, especially when faced with variable delays or under significant deprivation. A key difference between these findings is that humans are often explicitly told about the risky options, whereas non-human animals must learn about them from their own experience. We tested pigeons (Columba livia) and humans in formally identical choice tasks where all outcomes were learned from experience. Both species were more risk seeking for larger rewards than for smaller ones. The data suggest that the largest and smallest rewards experienced are overweighted in risky choice. This observed bias towards extreme outcomes represents a key step towards a consilience of these two disparate literatures, identifying common features that drive risky choice across phyla.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Faculty of Science > Psychology
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Risk taking (Psychology), Decision making, Psychology, Comparative, Gambling
Journal or Publication Title: Biology Letters
Publisher: Royal Society
ISSN: 1744-9561
Official Date: August 2014
Dates:
DateEvent
August 2014Published
5 August 2014Accepted
5 June 2014Submitted
Volume: Volume 10
Number: Number 8
Article Number: Article Number 20140451
DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2014.0451
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Open Access
Funder: Alberta Gaming Research Institute (AGRI), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

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