Fig. 1 |. Example of classic apple-picking task.

Subjects forage in an unlimited orchard and have to decide whether to continue picking from their current tree or to switch to another one to maximize their harvest¹⁶. Switching is associated with a time penalty; however, if the subject decides to stay and pick apples from the tree, the rate of return will decrease. Thus, at some point, the subject should switch to a new tree. To maximize the long-term harvest rate of apples, the subject repeatedly decides between choosing to stay at a tree and switching to a new one.