What do we mean by self-control? What are the consequences of having more or less of it? Is it a fixed trait or can it be trained?

<aside> 📔 Domjan Chapter 6 pp172-178 (sections 6-3 through 6-5)

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Study Questions

Complex Choice and Self-Control

• In standard concurrent schedule of reinforcement, two or more response alternatives are available at the same time and switching from one to the other can occur at any time

Concurrent-Chain Schedules

<aside> 👉 Concurrent-chain schedule of reinforcement: involves two inks

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• Once participant has made a choice, it is stuck with that alternative until the end of the terminal link or end of trial

• These types of schedules involved choice with commitment

• Choice link: Allowed to choice between two schedule alternatives by making one of two responses

  • Opportunity to peck A or B, leading to VI 3 min (through A) or FI 3 min (through B)
    • Entry!

• Terminal link: Makes the opportunity for reinforcement available, occurs after the choice link

• Pattern of responding that occurs in terminal component of concurrent-chain schedule is characteristic of whatever schedule of reinforcement is in effect during that component
• Participants prefer VI alternative when given the option between VI and FI terminal components (variety is the spice of life)
• Terminal link becomes conditioned reinforcer

<aside> 👉 Concurrent schedule: initial-link responses are reinforced by the presentation of a conditioned reinforcer

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• Good tool for studying conditioned reinforcement
• Choice behavior is governed by both the terminal link schedules and whatever schedule is in effect in the initial link

Self-Control Choice and Delay Discounting

<aside> 👉 Delay discounting: value of a reinforcer declines as a function of how long you have to wait to obtain it

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• Tested on animals using ingestible reinforcers

Figure 6.7 shows the results of a study with undergrads given choices between different amounts and delays of their preferred juice

• Value of 16 and 8 ml declined with increasing delays
• Smaller reward (8 ml) lost its value faster than the larger (16 ml) word
• No doubt that reinforcers lose their value the longer one has to wait for them

<aside> 👉 Value discounting function:

Known as the hyperbolic decay function

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Figure 6.8: hypothetical relations between reward value and waiting time to reward delivery for small reward and a large reward presented later in time

<aside> 💡 Increasing the delay to both the small and large reward makes it easier to exhibit self-control

• The larger delayed reward becomes more attractive with longer delays </aside>

• k: discounting rate parameter

• V: value of reinforcer

• M: reward magnitude

• D: reward delay

• V is directly related to M and inversely related to D

• If D=0 (reinforcer delivered with no delay), the value of the reinforcer is directly related to its magnitude

• Larger reinforcers = larger values

• The longer a reinforcer is delayed, the smaller its value

• You have to wait longer for larger rewards

• $T_1$: small reward has greater value (impulsive option)

• $T_2$: large reward has greater value (self-control option)

• Waiting for each reward reduces the reward value