Reward and Motivation

Do bounties make you more confident about how you perceive the world?

Here’s a disconcerting thought: what if the baggage screener at the airport – not that many of us are spending much time in airports these days – got paid a bonus for confidently flagging bags for additional inspection? In an ideal world, they would just assess bags based on the perceptual information they have from […]

Continue Reading

Sugar and spice and some things nice: Coordinating on a task increases sharing in 4-year-old Chinese children (especially boys)

What are little boys made of Snips & snails & puppy dogs tails And such are little boys made of. What are little girls made of Sugar & spice & all things nice This very popular rhyme, probably written by English author Robert Southey, has persisted in western culture for nearly two centuries. It embodies […]

Continue Reading

From data to information: The functional brain network integrating memory with reward

I sometimes wish I had perfect memory. No more missed appointments! I’d never misplace my phone (it’s always on my bedroom dresser). And I’d always remember the name of that actress (whats-her-name, in that thing!), or my colleague (sorry….), or my friend (really??). Yep, life would be pretty sweet. Despite these fantasies, individuals with highly-superior […]

Continue Reading

Your risk aversion is your brain’s feedback aversion

Suppose you own Montana’s only candle-holder shop. Business is going well and you want to inspire your two employees, Fred and Giselle, to work even harder so you can open a franchise in Idaho. You decide to offer a performance bonus to your best employee, defined as the person who is most courteous to customers […]

Continue Reading

One for the money, one for the show: Neural activation changes when intending to gamble on versus intending to watch soccer

On Monday, May 14th, 2018 the US Supreme Court effectively legalized sports gambling. Of course, prior to that ruling, sports gambling had been possible in the US, in various forms, online (one-day fantasy sports contests, like DraftKings) and through offshore betting venues. While fans had ample opportunity to wager on the performances of individual players […]

Continue Reading

Merging multiple shades of play in multiple ways

The special issue on the evolution and psychological significance of play in Learning and Behavior covers multiple topics, species, and ages and is most welcome. I hope the issue and thoughtful papers receive the attention that they deserve. With the great influx of research interest in play over the last 20 years, some of the […]

Continue Reading

Morality Play, New Jersey Style: The American version of isumaqsayuq

In contrast to the animal play that is covered in the special issue of Learning & Behavior dedicated to The Evolutionary and Psychological Significance of Play, humans often use elaborate representation (language and other symbols) in their play.  An example that occurs during contemporary Christmas season is the elf-on-the-shelf. By the time I visited homes […]

Continue Reading

38 shades of play: Commencing a digital event on the science of a diverse and pervasive behavior

We all know what it means to play. We play badminton, we play with others, we are playfully exploring an environment…. Come to think of it, there is so much to playing, what does it mean to play? According to the Oxford English dictionary, the verb “play” has 7 different meanings, ranging from “Engaging in […]

Continue Reading