Breaking the bonds of reinforcement: Effects of trial outcome, rule consistency and rule complexity against exploitable and unexploitable opponents

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262249
• Publication Date: 2022-02-02T18:24:22Z
• Authors: Jukka Sundvall; Benjamin James Dyson
• Keywords: 6162 Cognitive science; Adult; Male; Adolescent; Science; Q; R; Monkeys; 16. Peace & justice; 01 natural sciences; Young Adult; Game Theory; Medicine; Humans; Female; 0101 mathematics; Reinforcement, Psychology; Decision-making; Research Article

In two experiments, we used the simple zero-sum game Rock, Paper and Scissors to study common reinforcement-based rules of repeating choices after winning (win-stay) shifting from previous choice options losing (lose-shift). Participants played against both computer opponents who could not be exploited by making that would at times conflict with reinforcement. Against unexploitable opponents, participants achieved an approximation random behavior, contrary research commonly finding reinforcement biases. exploitable learned exploit opponent regardless whether optimal conflicted or not. The data suggest learning a rule allows one was largely determined outcome trial.