Choice with certain and uncertain reinforcers in an adjusting-delay procedure.

The team worked with six pigeons in a small chamber.

Each trial gave the bird two keys to peck.

One key always paid off after 2 s.

The other key paid off only half the time: 2 s or 10 s, chosen at random.

The delay for the risky key slowly changed day by day until the bird no longer cared which side it picked.

The authors then removed color differences to see if the birds still liked the gamble.

Three birds liked the risky key even when it meant waiting longer on average.

The other three played it safe.

When both keys turned the same color, most of the "risk-loving" effect vanished.

The birds were not chasing the thrill of uncertainty; they were chasing the bright green light that came with it.

Najdowski et al. (2003) later showed pigeons can swap choices overnight when delays change.

Their birds adjusted in one session, while Sponheim (1996) needed many days.

The faster switch in 2003 likely came from daily, not weekly, schedule tweaks.

Hoffman et al. (1966) proved pigeons notice tiny differences in past work loads.

E’s color twist adds a new layer: what the bird sees can override what the bird earns.

Together the papers warn that small visual cues, not just payoff odds, drive choice.

Your client may "prefer" a task only because it comes with a flashy card or a favorite color.

Strip those extras during preference assessments to be sure the reinforcer itself is valuable.

If you want to fade color cues, do it slowly; the bird data show control can drop fast once the cue is gone.