Data from: Dynamics of pre-choice and post-choice behaviour: rats approximate optimal strategy in a discrete-trial decision task

We simulate two types of environments to investigate how closely rats approximate optimal foraging. Rats initiated a trial where they chose between two spouts for sucrose, which was delivered at distinct probabilities. The discrete trial procedure used allowed us to observe the relationship between choice proportions, response latencies and obtained rewards. Our results show that rats approximate the optimal strategy across a range of environments that differ in the average probability of reward as well as the dynamics of the depletion-renewal cycle. We found that the constituent components of a single choice differentially reflect environmental contingencies. Post-choice behaviour, measured as the duration of time rats spent licking at the spouts on unrewarded trials, was the most sensitive index of environmental variables, adjusting most rapidly to changes in the environment. These findings have implications for the role of confidence in choice outcomes for guiding future choices.本研究模拟两类环境情境，以探究大鼠觅食行为对最优策略的趋近程度。试验中，大鼠需启动单次任务，并在两个发放蔗糖奖励的舔食喷嘴间做出选择，奖励的发放概率各不相同。本研究采用的离散试验范式，使得我们能够观测选择比例、反应潜伏期与获得的奖励间的关联。研究结果显示，在奖励平均概率与耗竭-更新循环动态特性均存在差异的多种环境中，大鼠均能趋近最优觅食策略。我们发现，单次选择的各构成组分能够差异化地反映环境制约条件：以大鼠在未获得奖励的试验中舔食喷嘴的时长为量化指标的选择后行为，是对环境变量最为敏感的观测指标，且能最快响应环境变化。本研究结果对“选择结果的信心水平如何指导后续选择”这一问题具有理论参考价值。