Will travel for food: spatial discounting in two new world monkeys.

@article{citeulike:381002, abstract = {Nonhuman animals steeply discount the future, showing a preference for small, immediate over large, delayed rewards []. Currently unclear is whether discounting functions depend on context. Here, we examine the effects of spatial context on discounting in cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) and common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), species known to differ in temporal discounting []. We presented subjects with a choice between small, nearby rewards and large, distant rewards. Tamarins traveled farther for the large reward than marmosets, attending to the ratio of reward differences rather than their absolute values. This species difference contrasts with performance on a temporal task in which marmosets waited longer than tamarins for the large reward. These comparative data indicate that context influences choice behavior, with the strongest effect seen in marmosets who discounted more steeply over space than over time. These findings parallel details of each species' feeding ecology. Tamarins range over large distances and feed primarily on insects, which requires using quick, impulsive action. Marmosets range over shorter distances than tamarins and feed primarily on tree exudates, a clumped resource that requires patience to wait for sap to exude []. These results show that discounting functions are context specific, shaped by a history of ecological pressures.}, address = {Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138.}, author = {Stevens, J. R. and Rosati, A. G. and Ross, K. R. and Hauser, M. D. }, citeulike-article-id = {381002}, doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2005.09.016}, issn = {0960-9822}, journal = {Curr Biol}, keywords = {discounting, foraging, nonhuman, primate, reward, spatial, temporal}, month = {October}, number = {20}, pages = {1855--1860}, posted-at = {2008-01-02 16:01:48}, priority = {4}, title = {Will travel for food: spatial discounting in two new world monkeys.}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2005.09.016}, volume = {15}, year = {2005} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:381002 L3 - citeulike-article-id:381002 TI - Will travel for food: spatial discounting in two new world monkeys. JF - Curr Biol VL - 15 IS - 20 SP - 1855 EP - 1860 AD - Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138. SN - 0960-9822 N2 - Nonhuman animals steeply discount the future, showing a preference for small, immediate over large, delayed rewards []. Currently unclear is whether discounting functions depend on context. Here, we examine the effects of spatial context on discounting in cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) and common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), species known to differ in temporal discounting []. We presented subjects with a choice between small, nearby rewards and large, distant rewards. Tamarins traveled farther for the large reward than marmosets, attending to the ratio of reward differences rather than their absolute values. This species difference contrasts with performance on a temporal task in which marmosets waited longer than tamarins for the large reward. These comparative data indicate that context influences choice behavior, with the strongest effect seen in marmosets who discounted more steeply over space than over time. These findings parallel details of each species' feeding ecology. Tamarins range over large distances and feed primarily on insects, which requires using quick, impulsive action. Marmosets range over shorter distances than tamarins and feed primarily on tree exudates, a clumped resource that requires patience to wait for sap to exude []. These results show that discounting functions are context specific, shaped by a history of ecological pressures. KW - discounting KW - foraging KW - nonhuman KW - primate KW - reward KW - spatial KW - temporal AU - Stevens, JR AU - Rosati, AG AU - Ross, KR AU - Hauser, MD PY - 2005/10/25/ UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2005.09.016 ER -