Operant Light Seeking in Mice: A Potential Model for Behavioral Disorders

Smartphone (over)use and internet use disorders share some features with substance and behavioral addictions. From the associative learning perspective, these characteristics include excessive and unregulated self-administration of sensory reinforcement on a digital operandum, possibly reflecting the transition from goal-directed actions (action → outcome associations) to habitual responses (stimulus → response associations). In laboratory mice, light stimulation at an optimal intensity possesses reinforcing properties and a brief light pulse represents an effective reinforcer for persistent operant responding. Here we propose that the mouse operant light seeking paradigm with clearly defined sensory reinforcers and reinforcement schedules may be utilized to elucidate the neurobiology of the behavioral symptoms of emerging digital technology-based disorders.