The hybrid delay task: can capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) sustain a delay after an initial choice to do so?

ABSTRACT: Choosing to wait for a better outcome (delay choice) and sustaining the delay prior to that outcome (delay maintenance) are both prerequisites for successful self-control in intertemporal choices. However, most existing experimental methods test these skills in isolation from each other, and no significant correlation has been observed in performance across these tasks. In this study we introduce a new paradigm, the hybrid delay task, which combines an initial delay choice with a subsequent delay maintenance stage. This allows testing how often choosing to wait is paired with the actual ability to do so. We tested 18 capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) from two laboratories in various conditions, and we found that subjects frequently chose the delayed reward but then failed to wait for it, due

SUBMITTER: Paglieri F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3604155 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature