We developed and examined a laboratory preparation with adult humans that pits shorter term avoidance over longer term positive reinforcement and may serve as a useful laboratory functional analogue of problematic behavior. Participants were exposed to choices between (1) avoiding an aversive sound and acquiring no money or (2) listening to an aversive sound for a set duration and then receiving money. The first choice, avoiding an aversive sound and acquiring no money, was conceptualized as immediate negative reinforcement and no positive reinforcement, whereas the latter choice, listening to an aversive sound for a set duration and then receiving money, was conceptualized as a potential positive punisher paired with a larger later positive reinforcer. We manipulated the duration of the sound and the magnitude of money to identify the point at which individual participants' choices changed from avoiding the sound to choosing the sound plus money. As the sound duration increased, the choice of listening to the sound and receiving money decreased. Similar functions were observed with two different monetary magnitudes. The model has potential applicability to real‐world problems such as smoking, addiction, gambling, anxiety disorders, and other impulse control disorders.

中文翻译：

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一种用于研究货币和厌恶声音的实际结果贴现的装置和程序

我们开发并检查了一种针对成年人的实验室准备工作，该准备工作将短期回避与长期积极强化相结合，并且可以作为有问题行为的有用的实验室功能类似物。参与者面临以下选择：（1）避免令人厌恶的声音并且不获得金钱或（2）在设定的时间内聆听令人厌恶的声音然后获得金钱。第一个选择，避免令人厌恶的声音并且不获得金钱，被概念化为立即负强化而不是正强化，而后一个选择，听一段令人厌恶的声音，然后收到金钱，被概念化为潜在的积极惩罚者与后来更大的正强化物配对。我们操纵声音的持续时间和金钱的大小来确定个体参与者的选择从避免声音到选择声音加金钱的转变点。随着声音持续时间的增加，听声音和收钱的选择减少。在两种不同的货币量值下观察到类似的功能。该模型具有解决现实世界问题的潜在适用性，例如吸烟、成瘾、赌博、焦虑症和其他冲动控制障碍。