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Risk Aversion and its Effects on Foraging Behavior in Sprague-Dawley Rats.

Myers, Kenneth A, III
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1535364124882701

Abstract Details

2018, Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, Psychology/Experimental.
Gambling addiction has become a growing concern in national mental health. The current study involves a paradigm designed to isolate a “gambling” phenotype in a rat model. Using a “3 Box” apparatus, behavioral studies were conducted under 2 separate conditions in which the training and the quantity of the constant reward were varied. In condition 1 (low contrast group), subjects were trained on a variable reward set at 1 lever press for 5 pellets with a variable reward of 70% (7 out of 10 trials were rewarded). During the experiment the reward on the constant side was set at 1 lever press for 2 pellets at 100% (10 out of 10 trials were rewarded). In condition 2 (high contrast group), subjects were trained on a constant reward set at 1 lever press for 5 pellets at 100%. During the experiment the reward on the constant side was reduced to 1 lever press for 1 pellet at 100%. The remaining parameters of the experiment were the same for both condition groups. Subjects were weight restricted to 87% of their free feeding weight. The experiment was 4 weeks long and consisted of 4 separate ratios on the variable side; Week 1 70/30, Week 2 50/50, Week 3 30/70 and Week 4 10/90. Although the study failed to isolate any significant gambling behavior, significant group difference in completed trials, errors and pellets consumed were found which contradict optimal foraging theory and suggests that the perception of risk goes well beyond the simplistic concept of energy expenditure versus reward value.
Howard Cromwell, Dr. (Advisor)
Verner Bingman, Dr. (Committee Member)
Harold Rosenberg, Dr. (Committee Member)
41 p.
Neurosciences
gambling; rat; risk; reward; magnitude; variability

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Myers, III, K. A. (2018). Risk Aversion and its Effects on Foraging Behavior in Sprague-Dawley Rats. [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1535364124882701

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Myers, III, Kenneth. Risk Aversion and its Effects on Foraging Behavior in Sprague-Dawley Rats. 2018. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1535364124882701.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Myers, III, Kenneth. "Risk Aversion and its Effects on Foraging Behavior in Sprague-Dawley Rats." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1535364124882701

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1535364124882701
221
© 2018, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.