Effects of complexity and prechoice stimulation on exploratory choice

Abstract

Four experiments are reported in which Ss had to choose between a response exposing a more complex visual pattern and a response exposing a less complex visual pattern, the two alternative patterns being the same over a succession of trials. When the choice followed near darkness, the response exposing the more complex pattern was performed significantly more often, and this tendency became steadily more marked over trials. It was still in evidence when the duration of postchoice exposures was increased from 1.5 sec to 5 sec and when near darkness was replaced by prechoice exposure to the patterns that were repeatedly seen after the choice. The proportion of more complex choices declined when more arousing stimulation (a recurrent colored picture) preceded the choice and declined still further when prechoice stimulation was made still more arousing (a different colored picture on every trial). This effect was obtained again with 35-msec postchoice exposures. The findings tend to refute an earlier hypothesis implicating perceptual curiosity as a prime factor. Instead, the attractiveness of more complex stimulation seems to vary inversely with the level of prechoice stimulation.