Toward an Animal Model of Gambling: Delay Discounting and the Allure of Unpredictable Outcomes

摘要: Laboratory investigations of gambling are sometimes criticized as lacking ecological validity because the stakes wagered by human subjects not real or no monetary losses experienced. These problems may be partially addressed studying in laboratory animals. Toward this end, data summarized which demonstrate that animals will work substantially harder and prefer to under gambling-like schedules reinforcement number responses per win is unpredictable. findings consistent with a delay discounting model holds rewards obtained following unpredictable delays more valuable than predictable delays. According model, individuals discount delayed at high rate (like pathological gamblers) perceive unpredictably greater value rewards. The reviewed empirical support utility animal behavior an ecologically valid first-approximation gambling.