Reinforcement learning (RL) models have been widely used to analyze the choice behavior of humans
and other animals in a broad range of fields, including psychology and neuroscience. Linear regression-based models that explicitly represent how reward and choice history influences future choices have also
been used to model choice behavior. While both approaches have been used independently, the relation
between the two models has not been explicitly described. The aim of the present study is to describe this
relation and investigate how the parameters in the RL model mediate the effects of reward and choice
history on future choices. To achieve these aims, we performed analytical calculations and numerical
simulations. First, we describe a special case in which the RL and regression models can provide equivalent
predictions of future choices. The general properties of the RL model are discussed as a departure from
this special case. We clarify the role of the RL-model parameters, specifically, the learning rate, inverse
temperature, and outcome value (also referred to as the reward value, reward sensitivity, or motivational
value), in the formation of history dependence.
© 2015 The Author. Published by Else