Faced with a choice between two pellets of food available in 20 seconds and three pellets of food available in 30 seconds, a rat will likely choose the _____ alternative. If 18 seconds are allowed to pass, such that the rat is faced with a choice between two pellets available in 2 seconds and three pellets available in 12 seconds, the rat will most likely choose the _____ alternative.
A) smaller; larger
B) larger; smaller
C) larger; larger
D) smaller; smaller

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Initially, the rat will choose the larger reward (three pellets in 30 seconds) because the delay is not immediate. However, when the delay is reduced and the choice becomes more immediate (two pellets in 2 seconds vs. three pellets in 12 seconds), the rat will likely choose the smaller, sooner reward (two pellets in 2 seconds) due to the immediacy effect.

Faced with a Choice Between Two Pellets of Food Available