Preference for unpredictable food rewards occurs with high proportion of reinforced trials or alcohol if rewards are not delayed

Organisms typically prefer situations where reward and nonreward are predictable rather than unpredictable. Although many theories can account for this result (e.g., information theory and delay-reduction theory), a recently developed mathematical model (DMOD) also predicts that subjects prefer the unpredictable reward situation under conditions that substantially decrease aversiveness of unpredictable nonreward (Daly & Daly, 1982). Because a high proportion of reinforced trials (lenient schedule) and alcohol injections decrease aversive conditioning, these variables were tested with rats in five E-maze experiments. A choice to one side of the maze resulted in a stimulus uncorrelated with reward outcome (unpredictable situation). A choice to the other side resulted in stimuli correlated with reward and nonreward (predictable situation). The stimuli were not visible until after the choice was made. A lenient reinforcement schedule resulted in preference for the unpredictable reward situation if rewards were not delayed. Alcohol resulted in preference for the unpredictable reward situation if a medium five-pellet reward was given. A lenient reinforcement schedule combined with an alcohol injection resulted in faster acquisition of the preference for the unpredictable reward situation than did a lenient schedule combined with a saline control injection. These results pose a major challenge to most theories, yet were predicted by DMOD.