Translational research into intertemporal choice: The Western scrub-jay as an animal model for future-thinking

摘要

Decisions often involve outcomes that will not materialise until later, and choices between immediate gratification and future consequences are thought to be important for human health and welfare. Combined human and animal research has identified impulsive intertemporal choice as an important factor in drug-taking and pathological gambling. In this paper, we give an overview of recent research into intertemporal choice in non-human animals, and argue that this work could offer insight into human behaviour through the development of animal models. As an example, we discuss the role of futurethinking in intertemporal choice, and review the case for the Western-scrub-jay (Aphelocoma califomica) as an animal model of such prospective cognition. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.