Response-dependent prechoice effects on foraging-related choice.

The team ran three small tests with pigeons. Each bird chose between two keys that led to food after different delays or amounts.

Before the choice appeared, the birds waited a short, medium, or long time. The researchers wanted to know if this prechoice wait changed later picks.

Wait time made no difference. Birds picked the same key no matter how long they had waited before the choice appeared.

Local cues, like which key paid off faster, ruled the birds' choices. The prior delay faded out.

The null result lines up with Kydd et al. (1982). That study also showed pigeons ignore relative immediacy when total payoff stays equal.

It seems to clash with Singh et al. (1982). Those birds did shift choice after longer search times. The gap is about timing: N varied the search before food appeared, while A et al. varied the wait before the choice appeared. Only the first mattered.

Together the papers draw a boundary: pigeons track delays tied to the food itself, not delays that sit idle before the choice.

For BCBAs, the lesson is to focus on what happens right at the moment of choice. Extra wait time before options pop up is unlikely to sway client preference. Instead, tighten the delay between the response and the reinforcer you want to strengthen. When you run preference assessments, keep pre-choice waits short and consistent; they won't bias results.