Figure 4. Females used more information about past outcomes and past choices to make decisions, and learned more during exploration.

(A, B) Percent win stay behavior (A: average; B: distribution) reveals that females were more likely to stay with the same choice after a reward. (C) Average percentage of lose shift behavior across sexes. (D) Probability of shifting after a loss during explore or exploit trials. (E) Probability of staying after a win during explore or exploit trials. (F) The probability of males and females switching targets on the next trial, given the current trial’s outcome and latent state. Females learned more only during exploratory trials. (G, H) Average (G) and distribution (H) of percentage of mutual information across all trials in females and males reveals that females use more information about past trials (choice and outcome) in making future decisions. * indicates p < 0.05. Graphs depict mean ± SEM across animals.

Figure 4—figure supplement 1. Reward learning in explore vs. exploit state across sexes.

The probability of males and females switching targets on the next trial, given the current trial’s outcome and latent state. Females showed increased reward learning only during exploratory state (Supplementary file 1, sex X reward X state interaction, p = 0.0438).