Visual probability learning in the rat

Bitterman, M. E.

doi:10.3758/bf03332563

Cited by 10 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Individual differences such as these have been observed in other studies even with very different experimental protocols (e.g. Bitterman 1971), suggesting that individual variation is a common occurrence.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 53%

“…Both the aforementioned explanations imply that probability matching is an artefact of a cognitive weakness, but it may also provide some benefit to an individual as it allows for sampling of the environment and therefore an opportunity to update priors where conditions may be fluctuating (Pisupati, Chartarifsky-Lynn, Khanal, & Churchland, 2021). Whatever the cause, there is experimental evidence that the application of probability matching may be context dependent, and contingent on incentives, motivation, reinforcement, or understanding of the problem (Bitterman, 1971; Börgers & Sarin, 2000; Erev & Barron, 2005; Rivas, 2013; Shanks, Tunney, & McCarthy, 2002; Vulkan, 2000; Wolford, Newman, Miller, & Wig, 2004). In our Experiment 1, three of the eight fish choose the biased position in T5 at a higher rate than probability matching predicts (fish: 8M = 96%, 9N = 71%, 21P = 79%).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An educated guess: how coral reef fish make decisions under uncertainty

Newport

Wilkins

Wallis

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Making informed decisions is fundamental to intelligent life and is crucial to survival. The problem many organisms face, is how to make optimal decisions in the face of incomplete or conflicting information. There is mounting evidence that humans employ a Bayesian framework which optimally combines the statistical properties of current evidence with those of past experience. This, it is assumed, requires the operation of a sophisticated cortical system in which the statistics of past experience are stored. Here we demonstrate Bayesian updating behaviour in a fish performing a non-adaptive, visual discrimination task. We find that fish can learn probability distributions and apply this knowledge as uncertainty in the correct choice increases, ultimately increasing the overall frequency of correct choices. Our study underlines the ubiquity of Bayes-like behaviour in animals and, since fish have no cortex, implies that Bayesian integration can be performed by relatively simple neural circuitry. Furthermore, our results reveal that probabilistic decision rules can be used by fish when visual information is unreliable, indicating a possible mechanism for decision making given the inherent noise in incoming sensory information.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 53%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An educated guess: how coral reef fish make decisions under uncertainty

Newport

Wilkins

Wallis

et al. 2022

Preprint

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“…Visual matching is evident in the data for each animal, i.e., percent choice of the original majority color comes closely to approximate 70 in the 70:30 problem and 50 in the 50:50 problem. Furthermore, the visual matching can in no sense be regarded as an artifact of spatial bias, as sometimes, for example, it has been found to be in work with rats, when equal response to two visual alternatives in a 50:50 problem occurs as the inevitable consequence of consistent choice of one or the other spatial alternative (Bitterman, 1971). Spatial preferences vary considerably both within and between animals, but there seems to be no relation between visual and spatia!…”

Section: IImentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1961;Behrend & Bitterman. 1966;Bitterman, 1969Bitterman, , 1971. Recent work with a modified training technique makes it clear, however.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Further experiments on probability learning in goldfish

Woodard

Bitterman

1973

Animal Learning and Behavior

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The performance of goldfish in 70: 30 and 50: 50 visual and spatial problems was studied again under conditions like those employed in recent reversal experiments which provided the first unambiguous evidence of progressive improvement in goldfish. Random matching was found in the visual problems but not in the spatial problems. spatial choices proving rather insensitive to reinforcement ratio. The relation of random matching to the various other outcomes of such experiments is considered.

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“…Both Leibniz and Kant subscribed to the idea of a changing universe with continuous development and progressive diversification, Kant conceiving of man's development as from an initially "instinctive" behavioral state towards the possession of reason. 7 Despite the new emphasis on change over time, the scala naturae did not appear to lose its spatial dimension. Indeed, its modern counterpart, the phylogenetic scale, is also commonly construed as a spatial concept (20).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%