On the Wondrous Behaviour of Rats and Researchers

Abstract

This paper deals with the connection between effort and rewards, regarding the optimal behaviour of the agents involved. The context is that in which a subject is required to perform a costly task and is rewarded with a prize when the task is performed properly. We provide here a simple model that explains why reducing the reward associated with a costly task may induce a higher effort. This is an experimental observation of the behaviour of rats in the lab, but it also appears in other mammals (e.g. researchers).