|
"Work ethic" in
pigeons: Effort required to obtain a reward determines its relative
value. In humans, the value of a reward often depends in part on the effort that went into obtaining it. Easily obtained rewards are often less valued than those that are difficult to obtain. Such findings are often attributed to "cognitive dissonance." We show that a similar effect can be found in pigeons. Given equal rewards associated with two stimuli, the stimulus that in training required greater effort (FR20) to obtain is preferred over the stimulus that required less effort (FR1) to obtain. Furthermore, in another experiment, also under conditions of nondifferential reward, the "expectation" of less reward can function in the same way as greater effort to enhance the value of a stimulus that follows. Thus, independent of actual reward, relative improvement is preferred over relative worsening. These results extend the concept of contrast to within-trial procedures. They also have important implications for social psychological phenomena, such as cognitive dissonance, that are presumed to result from complex social processes. Keywords: "work ethic," relative reward value, contrast, pigeons |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|