Andrew marshal 1xbet best casino website, Ph.D. (2016)

Major Professor:

Dr. Kimberly Kirkpatrick

Title and Institution:

Postdoctoral researcher / University of California - Irvine

Dissertation:

A REINFORCEMENT-LEARNING APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING LOSS-CHASING BEHAVIOR IN RATS 1xbet best casino website

Abstract:

1xbet best casino website decisions are inherently characterized by the potential to receive gains and losses from these choices, and gains and losses have distinct effects on global 1xbet best casino website choice behavior and the likelihoods of making 1xbet best casino website choices depending on the outcome of the previous choice. One translationally-relevant phenomenon of 1xbet best casino website choice is loss-chasing, in which individuals make 1xbet best casino website choices following losses. However, the mechanisms of loss-chasing are poorly understood. The goal of two experiments was to illuminate the mechanisms governing individual differences in loss-chasing and 1xbet best casino website choice behaviors. In two experiments, rats chose between a certain outcome that always delivered reward and a 1xbet best casino website outcome that probabilistically delivered reward. In Experiment 1, loss processing and loss-chasing behavior were assessed in the context of losses-disguised-as-wins (LDWs), or loss outcomes presented along with gain-related stimuli. The rats presented with LDWs were riskier and less sensitive to differential losses. In Experiment 2, these behaviors were assessed relative to the number of 1xbet best casino website losses that could be experienced. Here, the addition of reward omission or a small non-zero loss to the possible 1xbet best casino website outcomes elicited substantial individual differences in 1xbet best casino website choice, with some rats increasing, decreasing, or maintaining their previous 1xbet best casino website choice preferences. Several reinforcement learning (RL) models were fit to individual rats’ data to elucidate the possible psychological mechanisms that best accounted for individual differences in 1xbet best casino website choice and loss-chasing behaviors. The RL analyses indicated that the critical predictors of 1xbet best casino website choice and loss-chasing behavior were the different rates that individuals updated value estimates with newly experienced gains and losses. Thus, learning deficits may predict individual differences in maladaptive 1xbet best casino website decision making. Accordingly, targeted interventions to alleviate learning deficits may ultimately increase the likelihood of making more optimal and informed choices.