ERIC Number: EJ1473410
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Dec
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-2056-7936
Available Date: 2025-06-07
Delayed Rewards Weaken Human Goal Directed Actions
Omar David Perez1,2,3; Gonzalo P. Urcelay4
npj Science of Learning, v10 Article 36 2025
Goal-directed actions are sensitive to the causal association between actions and outcomes, as well as the value of those outcomes. Such sensitivity diminishes when actions become habitual. Based on recent findings in animals, we tested if delaying outcomes relative to actions would weaken sensitivity to outcome revaluation and reduce action rates. In three experiments (N = 290), participants made fictitious investments in companies within contexts that provided either immediate or delayed feedback. After training, participants were informed of a change in markets which affected both companies (one improved and the other worsened). Across all experiments, action rates were lower in the delayed-feedback condition, and outcome revaluation was stronger in the immediate-feedback condition. In addition, self-reported action-outcome knowledge was weaker in the delayed-feedback condition. These findings suggest that delays in reinforcement weaken the action-outcome association critical for goal-directed control. We discuss the potential mechanisms underlying this phenomenon in light of a contemporary theory of goal-directed behavior.
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Data File: URL: https://osf.io/rxtzm
Author Affiliations: 1University of Chile, Department of Industrial Engineering, Santiago, Chile; 2California Institute of Technology, Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Pasadena, USA; 3Instituto Sistemas Complejos de Ingeniería (ISCI), Santiago, Chile; 4University of Nottingham, School of Psychology, Nottingham, UK