Choice Task (choice + task)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


The effects of one night of sleep deprivation on known-risk and ambiguous-risk decisions

JOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH, Issue 3 2007
BENJAMIN S. MCKENNA
Summary Sleep deprivation has been shown to alter decision-making abilities. The majority of research has utilized fairly complex tasks with the goal of emulating 'real-life' scenarios. Here, we use a Lottery Choice Task (LCT) which assesses risk and ambiguity preference for both decisions involving potential gains and those involving potential losses. We hypothesized that one night of sleep deprivation would make subjects more risk seeking in both gains and losses. Both a control group and an experimental group took the LCT on two consecutive days, with an intervening night of either sleep or sleep deprivation. The control group demonstrated that there was no effect of repeated administration of the LCT. For the experimental group, results showed significant interactions of night (normal sleep versus total sleep deprivation, TSD) by frame (gains versus losses), which demonstrate that following as little as 23 h of TSD, the prototypical response to decisions involving risk is altered. Following TSD, subjects were willing to take more risk than they ordinarily would when they were considering a gain, but less risk than they ordinarily would when they were considering a loss. For ambiguity preferences, there seems to be no direct effect of TSD. These findings suggest that, overall, risk preference is moderated by TSD, but whether an individual is willing to take more or less risk than when well-rested depends on whether the decision is framed in terms of gains or losses. [source]


Children's understanding of idioms and theory of mind development

DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE, Issue 5 2008
Stéphanie Caillies
The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis according to which theory of mind competence was a prerequisite to ambiguous idioms understanding. We hypothesized that the child needs to understand that the literal interpretation could be a false world representation, a false belief, and that the speaker's intention is to mean something else, to correctly process idiomatic expressions. Two kinds of ambiguous idioms were of interest: decomposable and nondecomposable expressions (Titone & Connine, 1999). An experiment was designed to assess the figurative developmental changes that occur with theory of mind competence. Five-, 6- and 7-year-old children performed five theory of mind tasks (an appearance,reality task, three false-belief tasks and a second-order false-belief task) and listened to decomposable and nondecomposable idiomatic expressions inserted in context, before performing a multiple choice task. Results indicated that only nondecomposable idiomatic expression was predicted from the theory of mind scores, and particularly from the second-order competences. Results are discussed with respect to theory of mind and verbal competences. [source]


Personality-dependent dissociation of absolute and relative loss processing in orbitofrontal cortex

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 6 2008
Juri Fujiwara
Abstract A negative outcome can have motivational and emotional consequences on its own (absolute loss) or in comparison to alternative, better, outcomes (relative loss). The consequences of incurring a loss are moderated by personality factors such as neuroticism and introversion. However, the neuronal basis of this moderation is unknown. Here we investigated the neuronal basis of loss processing and personality with functional magnetic resonance imaging in a choice task. We separated absolute and relative financial loss by sequentially revealing the chosen and unchosen outcomes. With increasing neuroticism, activity in the left lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) preferentially reflected relative rather than absolute losses. Conversely, with increasing introversion, activity in the right lateral OFC preferentially reflected absolute rather than relative losses. These results suggest that personality affects loss-related processing through the lateral OFC, and propose a dissociation of personality dimension and loss type on the neuronal level. [source]


Localized lesions of arcopallium intermedium of the lateral forebrain caused a handling-cost aversion in the domestic chick performing a binary choice task

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 8 2006
Naoya Aoki
Abstract Behavioral effects of handling cost (time and/or energetic cost for food consumption) on choice were examined using domestic chicks trained in operant task reinforced by delayed food rewards. When scattered sesame was delivered in more demanding conditions, a colored cue bead associated with six grains (,large' and ,costly' reward) was chosen progressively less frequently against another bead associated with one grain (,small' and ,not costly' reward). The choice thus proved to be highly sensitive to the anticipated handling cost. Excitotoxic lesion of the bilateral arcopallium intermedium also selectively reduced the choice of the six grains, while leaving actual cost investment (number of pecks and handling time) unaltered. No significant changes occurred in choices between one grain of sesame (,small' and ,not costly' reward) and one grain of barley (or a ball composed of six sesame grains glued by starch; ,large' and ,not costly' reward), indicating that choice based on anticipated food amount was not impaired. On the other hand, lesion of the ventral striatum did not change the choice ratio in any trial types. Operant peck latencies somewhat depended on food rewards, but were not affected by lesions of the arcopallium or the ventral striatum. The arcopallium could contribute to foraging behaviors by enabling chicks to overcome the handling cost, thus gaining more beneficial food. Furthermore, the present results indicate doubly dissociated functional roles of the ventral striatum and the arcopallium, the former in the cost of traveling for food and the latter in the cost of handling food, respectively. [source]


Different selves, different values: Effects of self-construals on value activation and use

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 6 2009
Bas Verplanken
Three experiments demonstrated structural properties and dynamic effects of self-construal on the processing and use of values. In Study 1, it was found that self-focus during encoding caused spontaneous cognitive clustering of individualistic versus relational values. Study 2 demonstrated that self-construal affected the implicit weight of a value-related attribute in a multi-attribute choice task. In Study 3, behavioral intentions were better predicted by personal values than social norms when the personal self was primed, whereas social norms predicted better when the collective self was primed. The effects of manipulated self-construal were mimicked when comparing participants with an individualistic versus collectivistic cultural background. No interaction was found between priming and cultural background. Taken together, the studies demonstrated that different domains of the self are associated with different values, which may instigate different cognitive and behavioral processes when activated. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Differential effects of alcohol and alcohol expectancy on risk-taking during simulated driving

HUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue 3 2003
Scott E. Burian
Abstract This study examined the separate and combined effects of alcohol (0.0 or 0.5,g/kg) and alcohol expectancies (none or 2,3 standard drinks) on risk-taking using a simulated-driving lane choice task. In this task, risk-taking was operationalized as choosing a cone-defined lane with a higher relative probability of hitting a cone. When alcohol was received but not expected, the probability of a risky lane choice increased compared with when alcohol was neither expected nor received. However, when subjects both expected and received alcohol, the probability of a risky lane choice was significantly decreased compared with when alcohol was neither expected nor received. These findings suggest that the knowledge of dose received can differentially influence the pharmacological effect of alcohol on decision-making. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Relating individual differences in Attitude toward Ambiguity to risky choices

JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING, Issue 2 2001
Marco Lauriola
Abstract Subjects (76 adult Italians of varying ages) completed a two-part procedure. One part used an Ellsberg-type task which allowed for both aggregate and individual level analysis of Attitude toward Ambiguity. The other part used an expanded risky choice task to assess the same subjects' Attitude toward Risk. While there was an overall tendency for subjects to be slightly ambiguity-averse, there was a positive correlation between Attitude toward Ambiguity and Attitude toward Risk. This relation was particularly strong when the risky choice was to avoid a loss rather than to achieve a gain. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


On the robustness and the direction of the effect of cause-related marketing

JOURNAL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR, Issue 4 2003
Eldad Yechiam
Abstract Two experiments are presented in this paper that explore the effect of cause-related marketing (CRM) on product choice. To allow evaluation of the effect of experience and the role of individual differences, the experiments used a repeated choice setting. The results of Experiment 1 showed that the effect of CRM was stable over time. However, the direction of the effect was sensitive to the value of the product. CRM served as an equaliser: it helped disadvantaged alternatives and reduced the attractiveness of superior alternatives. Experiment 2 showed that the effect of CRM decreased but did not disappear in an easy choice task. These findings are summarised in a simple model and discussed in terms of their potential marketing applications. Copyright © 2003 Henry Stewart Publications. [source]


Effect of DOV 102,677 on the Volitional Consumption of Ethanol by Myers' High Ethanol-Preferring Rat

ALCOHOLISM, Issue 11 2007
Brian A. McMillen
Background:, Inhibitors of monoamine neurotransmitter transporters are well established as antidepressants. However, the evidence that single (serotonin) or dual (serotonin,norepinephrine) neurotransmitter uptake inhibitors can treat ethanol abuse, either as a comorbidity with depression or as a separate entity, is inconsistent. Drugs that have, in addition, the ability to inhibit dopamine uptake may have an advantage in the treatment of alcohol abuse. Therefore, the inhibitor of norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine uptake, DOV 102,677, was tested for its effects on the volitional consumption of ethanol by an ethanol-preferring rat strain. Methods:, Myers' high ethanol-preferring rats were screened by a 10-day, 3 to 30% step-up test and then given free access to the preferred concentration of ethanol in a 3-bottle choice task. Consumption of ethanol (g/kg), water, food, and body weight were measured daily during a 3-day predrug treatment period, a 3-day treatment period, and a 3-day posttreatment period. Additional Sprague,Dawley rats were observed for 24 hours for the behavioral effects of 2.0 mg/kg s.c. reserpine after a 30-minute pretreatment with different doses of DOV 102,677. Results:, The triple monoamine uptake inhibitor DOV 102,677 dose-dependently decreased the volitional consumption of ethanol by as much as 71.2% (20 mg/kg i.p., b.i.d.) over 3 days of administration. This effect carried over into the posttreatment period. Similarly, the proportion of ethanol to total fluids consumed declined by 66.2% (20 mg/kg s.c., b.i.d.), while food consumption and body weight were unaltered. In contrast, amperozide (2 mg/kg i.p., b.i.d.) suppressed the amount of ethanol consumed by 56%, while naltrexone (5 mg/kg i.p., b.i.d.) was without effect. DOV 102,677 (40 mg/kg s.c.) inhibited reserpine-induced akinesia and ptosis, but not hypothermia in Sprague,Dawley rats, consistent with its transient inhibition of serotonin transport, and more long-lived inhibition of norepinephrine and dopamine uptake. Conclusions:, DOV 102,677 significantly decreased the volitional consumption of ethanol with minimal alterations in the intake of food or on body weight in an ethanol-preferring rat strain, suggesting that triple reuptake inhibitors may find utility in treating alcohol abuse. [source]


Complexity in choice experiments: choice of the status quo alternative and implications for welfare measurement,

AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL & RESOURCE ECONOMICS, Issue 4 2009
Peter Boxall
We examine the propensity of respondents to choose the status quo (SQ) or current situation alternative as a function of complexity in two separate state-of-the-world choice experiments. Complexity in each choice set was characterized as the number of single and multiple changes in levels of attributes from the current situation and the order of the choice task in the sequence of multiple tasks provided to respondents. We show that increasing complexity leads to increased choice of the SQ and that a respondent's age and level of education also influenced this choice. We outline the effects of the alternate approaches for incorporating the SQ into welfare measurement. These findings have implications for the design of stated preference experiments, examining passive use values and for empirical analysis leading to welfare measurement. [source]


Perceptual Causality in Children

CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 6 2002
Anne Schlottmann
Three experiments considered the development of perceptual causality in children from 3 to 9 years of age (N= 176 in total). Adults tend to see cause and effect even in schematic, two,dimensional motion events: Thus, if square A moves toward B, which moves upon contact, they report that A launches B,physical causality. If B moves before contact, adults report that B tries to escape from A,social or psychological causality. A brief pause between movements eliminates such impressions. Even infants in the first year of life are sensitive to causal structure in both contact and no,contact events, but previous research with talking,age children found poor verbal reports. The present experiments used a picture,based forced,choice task to reduce linguistic demands. Observers saw eight different animations involving squares A and B. Events varied in whether or not these agents made contact; whether or not there was a delay at the closest point; and whether they moved rigidly or with a rhythmic, nonrigid "caterpillar" motion. Participants of all ages assigned events with contact to the physical domain and events without contact to the psychological domain. In addition, participants of all ages chose causality more often for events without delay than with delay, but these events became more distinct over the preschool range. The manipulation of agent motion had only minor and inconsistent effects across studies, even though children of all ages considered only the nonrigid motion to be animal,like. These results agree with the view that perceptual causality is available early in development. [source]


Computational Models for the Combination of Advice and Individual Learning

COGNITIVE SCIENCE - A MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL, Issue 2 2009
Guido Biele
Abstract Decision making often takes place in social environments where other actors influence individuals' decisions. The present article examines how advice affects individual learning. Five social learning models combining advice and individual learning-four based on reinforcement learning and one on Bayesian learning-and one individual learning model are tested against each other. In two experiments, some participants received good or bad advice prior to a repeated multioption choice task. Receivers of advice adhered to the advice, so that good advice improved performance. The social learning models described the observed learning processes better than the individual learning model. Of the models tested, the best social learning model assumes that outcomes from recommended options are more positively evaluated than outcomes from nonrecommended options. This model correctly predicted that receivers first adhere to advice, then explore other options, and finally return to the recommended option. The model also predicted accurately that good advice has a stronger impact on learning than bad advice. One-time advice can have a long-lasting influence on learning by changing the subjective evaluation of outcomes of recommended options. [source]


Effects of valence and framing in decision-making: Assessing decision-makers' perceived domains of choice

JAPANESE PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH, Issue 4 2002
Kimihiko Yamagishi
Abstract:, In comparison between choice alternatives, judgments of "How much better is a preferred option?" and "How much worse is a less preferred option?" may differ in their magnitudes. Such discrepancies are called "valence effects". Previously,Yamagishi and Miyamoto (1996) observed systematic positive valence effects ("Better" exceeding "Worse") in the domain of gains and systematic negative valence effects ("Worse" exceeding "Better") in the domain of losses. The current experiments used the directions of valence effects as a tool to assess decision-maker's interpretation of choice tasks under "framing effects" (Tversky & Kahneman, 1986). Preferences under the framing effect switch from certain options in the domain of gains to uncertain options in the domain of losses. Two experiments showed that preferences for certain options were associated with positive valence effects, whereas preferences for uncertain options were associated with negative valence effects. Moreover, conditions wherein the framing manipulations lose the effectiveness were examined. Valence effects showed that framing effects ceased to occur when decision-makers maintained consistent domain perceptions as pertaining to gains or to losses, across the domains of gains and losses. Implications are discussed. [source]


A choice prediction competition: Choices from experience and from description

JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING, Issue 1 2010
Ido Erev
Abstract Erev, Ert, and Roth organized three choice prediction competitions focused on three related choice tasks: One shot decisions from description (decisions under risk), one shot decisions from experience, and repeated decisions from experience. Each competition was based on two experimental datasets: An estimation dataset, and a competition dataset. The studies that generated the two datasets used the same methods and subject pool, and examined decision problems randomly selected from the same distribution. After collecting the experimental data to be used for estimation, the organizers posted them on the Web, together with their fit with several baseline models, and challenged other researchers to compete to predict the results of the second (competition) set of experimental sessions. Fourteen teams responded to the challenge: The last seven authors of this paper are members of the winning teams. The results highlight the robustness of the difference between decisions from description and decisions from experience. The best predictions of decisions from descriptions were obtained with a stochastic variant of prospect theory assuming that the sensitivity to the weighted values decreases with the distance between the cumulative payoff functions. The best predictions of decisions from experience were obtained with models that assume reliance on small samples. Merits and limitations of the competition method are discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Aging and decision-making competence: an analysis of comprehension and consistency skills in older versus younger adults considering health-plan options

JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING, Issue 2 2002
Melissa L. Finucane
Abstract Older adults need to maintain strong decision-making capabilities as they age. However, we know little about how age-related physical and psychological changes affect older adults' judgment and decision processes. This paper reports the results of research comparing older versus younger adults' performance on evaluation and choice tasks about health-plan options. In particular, comprehension and consistency in judgments (across separate versus joint evaluation contexts) were examined. Results indicated that increasing age was related to greater comprehension errors and inconsistent preferences, even when covariates (education, income, gender, self-perceived skill and health, decision style, and attitude toward delegation) were taken into account. Discussion of the results emphasizes difficulties in interpreting the meaning of age differences in performance on decision tasks and the need for research that ascertains the seriousness of the consequences of age differences in real-life tasks. The implications for providing decision-aiding interventions for older adults are highlighted. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Contrasting effects of selective lesions of nucleus accumbens core or shell on inhibitory control and amphetamine-induced impulsive behaviour

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 2 2008
E. R. Murphy
Abstract The core and shell subregions of the nucleus accumbens receive differential projections from areas of the medial prefrontal cortex that have dissociable effects on impulsive and perseverative responding. The contributions of these subregions to simple instrumental behaviour, inhibitory control and behavioural flexibility were investigated using a ,forced choice' task, various parameter manipulations and an omission schedule version of the task. Post-training, selective core lesions were achieved with microinjections of quinolinic acid and shell lesions with ibotenic acid. After a series of behavioural task manipulations, rats were re-stabilized on the standard version of the task and challenged with increasing doses of d - amphetamine (vehicle, 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg i.p. 30 min prior to test). Neither core- nor shell-lesioned rats exhibited persistent deficits in simple instrumental behaviour or challenges to behavioural flexibility or inhibitory control. Significant differences between lesion groups were unmasked by d- amphetamine challenge in the standard version of the forced task. Core lesions potentiated and shell lesions attenuated the dose-dependent effect of d- amphetamine on increasing anticipatory responses seen in sham rats. These data imply that the accumbens core and shell subregions do not play major roles in highly-trained task performance or in challenges to behavioural control, but may have opposed effects following d- amphetamine treatment. Specifically, they suggest the shell subregion to be necessary for dopaminergic activation driving amphetamine-induced impulsive behaviour and the core subregion for the normal control of this behaviour via conditioned influences. [source]