Motivation and Timing

Historically, motivation and timing have been viewed as independent psychological processes. However, we have been investigating whether different subjective levels of motivation influence timing. Several studies from our laboratory (e.g., Galtress & Kirkpatrick, 2009, 2010) have indicated that changes in motivation through manipulation of reward magnitude or devaluation through satiety or lithium chloride alter timing processes. As an example, Figure 1 displays the effect of satiety devaluation (D 30) on peak procedure performance. Devaluation resulted in a dramatic rightward shift in the peak and a lowering of response rate. A subsequent study indicated that a lesion to the nucleus accumbens core disrupted incentive motivational processes, so this may be the mechanism for the motivation-timing interaction. Intact incentive motivation appears to play a role in motivational effects on timing. Currently, we are exploring the role of the nucleus accumbens core in timing and decision making. In addition, we have been examining how reward-timing interactions may affect impulsive choice behavior (Smith, Peterson, & Kirkpatrick, 2016) which may have implications in adjusting amount procedures.

Figure 1.

Related Publications

Kirkpatrick, K. (2014). Interactions of timing and prediction error learning. Behavioural Processes, 101, 135-145.

Galtress, T., Marshall, A. T., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2012). Motivation and timing: Clues for modeling the reward system. Behavioural Processes, 90, 142-153.

Galtress, T., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2010a). The role of the nucleus accumbens core in impulsive choice, timing, and reward processing. Behavioral Neuroscience, 124, 26-43.

Galtress, T., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2010b). Reward magnitude effects on temporal discrimination. Learning and Motivation, 41, 108-124.

Galtress, T. & Kirkpatrick, K. (2009). Reward value effects on timing in the peak procedure. Learning and Motivation, 40, 109-131.

Related Conference Presentations

Smith, A., Galtress, T., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2013). Reward contrast effects on timing and impulsive choice behavior . Society for the Quantitative Analyses of Behavior, Minneapolis, MN.

Kirkpatrick, K., & Galtress, T. (2011). Motivation and timing . Invited talk at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Quantitative Analyses of Behavior, Denver, CO.

Galtress, T., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2011). The effect of changes in motivational state on timing . Annual Meeting of the Society for the Quantitative Analyses of Behavior, Denver, CO.

Kirkpatrick, K., & Galtress, T. (2009). The effect of changes in reward magnitude and delay on impulsive behaviour in the Nucleus Accumbens Core. Annual Meeting of the Psychobiology Section of the British Psychological Society, Windermere, UK.

Galtress, T., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2009). Reinforcer magnitude effects on temporal discrimination. International Conference on Comparative Cognition, Melbourne, FL.

Kirkpatrick, K., & Galtress, T. (2008). Changes in reward value systematically alter timing. Invited symposium contribution at the 49th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Chicago, IL.

Pizzo, M., Galtress, T., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2008). Temporal expectation under pre-feeding in the peak procedure. International Conference on Comparative Cognition, Melbourne, FL.

Galtress, T., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2008). Changing the value of food reinforcement retards learning about a shift in the time of delivery. Annual Meeting of the Psychobiology Section of the British Psychological Society, Windermere, UK.

Galtress, T., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2007). Manipulating reward value modifies the perception of temporal cues. Annual Meeting of the Psychobiology Section of the British Psychological Society, Windermere, UK.

Galtress, T., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2006). Reward value and reward timing are not independent. International Conference on Comparative Cognition, Melbourne, FL.