Correctness is its own reward: bootstrapping error signals in self-guided reinforcement learning.

ABSTRACT: Reinforcement learning (RL) offers a compelling account of how agents learn complex behaviors by trial and error, yet RL is predicated on the existence of a reward function provided by the agent's environment. By contrast, many skills are learned without external guidance, posing a challenge to RL's ability to account for self-directed learning. For instance, juvenile male zebra finches first memorize and then train themselves to reproduce the song of an adult male tutor through extensive practice. This process is believed to be guided by an internally computed assessment of performance quality, though the mechanism and development of this signal remain unknown. Here, we propose that, contrary to prevailing assumptions, tutor song memorization and performance assessment are subserved by th

SUBMITTER: Gong Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12393258 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature