1
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Singh T, Frings C, Walther E. Two roads leading to the same evaluative conditioning effect? Stimulus-response binding versus operant conditioning. Cogn Emot 2024; 38:825-833. [PMID: 38512042 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2024.2323741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Evaluative Conditioning (EC) refers to changes in our liking or disliking of a stimulus due to its pairing with other positive or negative stimuli. In addition to stimulus-based mechanisms, recent research has shown that action-based mechanisms can also lead to EC effects. Research, based on action control theories, has shown that pairing a positive or negative action with a neutral stimulus results in EC effects (Stimulus-Response binding). Similarly, research studies using Operant Conditioning (OC) approaches have also observed EC effects. The aim of the present study is to directly compare EC effects elicited by two different response-based approaches - S-R bindings and OC. To this end, participants were randomly assigned to an S-R binding procedure and an OC procedure. EC effects were measured in conditions and compared. Implications for EC theory are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarini Singh
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
- Department of Social Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
| | - Christian Frings
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
| | - Eva Walther
- Department of Social Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
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2
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Gasper K, Hu D, Haynes E. Feeling more neutral? Evaluative conditioning can increase neutral affective reactions. Cogn Emot 2024:1-19. [PMID: 38973178 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2024.2372385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACTWhile it is important to learn what is good and bad, can people learn what is neither? The answer to this question is not readily apparent, but it has important implications for how people learn affective responses. Six experiments examined whether evaluative conditioning (EC) can instill neutral affect. They tested four hypotheses: EC, in which novel conditioned stimuli (CSs) are paired with neutral unconditioned stimuli (USs) (1) creates neutral affect, (2) forms stronger experiences of neutrality when the number of contingent CS-US pairings is high rather than low, (3) creates positive affect, due to mere exposure, and (4) forms responses that are distinct from no US pairings. Respondents rated how positive, negative, and neutral they felt about a CS before and after an EC task in which CSs were paired with USs (positive, negative, neutral, or no stimuli). The positive/negative US conditions increased/decreased positivity, decreased/increased negativity, and decreased neutrality ratings, respectively. Supporting hypotheses 1, 2, and 4, the neutral US, but not the no US, condition increased neutral evaluations when respondents experienced a high (vs. low) number of CS-US pairings. Hypothesis 3 was not supported. The results reveal that people learn not only valenced, but also neutral, preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Gasper
- The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Danfei Hu
- The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Elise Haynes
- The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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3
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Hulsman AM, van de Pavert I, Roelofs K, Klumpers F. Tackling Costly Fearful Avoidance Using Pavlovian Counterconditioning. Behav Ther 2024; 55:361-375. [PMID: 38418046 DOI: 10.1016/j.beth.2023.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Avoidance behavior constitutes a major transdiagnostic symptom that exacerbates anxiety. It hampers fear extinction and predicts poor therapy-outcome. Pavlovian counterconditioning with a reward could alleviate avoidance better than traditional extinction by reducing negative valence of the feared situation. However, previous studies are scarce and did not consider that pathological avoidance is often costly and typically evolves from an approach-avoidance conflict. Therefore, we used an approach-avoidance conflict paradigm to model effects of counterconditioning on costly avoidance (i.e., avoidance that leads to missing out on rewards). Results from our preregistered Bayesian Mixed Model analyses in 51 healthy participants (43 females) indicated that counterconditioning was more effective in reducing negative valuation and decreasing costly avoidance than traditional extinction. This study supports application of a simple counterconditioning technique, shows that its efficacy transfers to more complex avoidance situations, and suggests treatment may benefit from increasing reward drive in combination with extinction to overcome avoidance. Application in a clinical sample is a necessary next step to assess clinical utility of counterconditioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anneloes M Hulsman
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University; Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University
| | - Iris van de Pavert
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University; Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University; KU Leuven
| | - Karin Roelofs
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University; Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University
| | - Floris Klumpers
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University; Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University.
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4
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Hyde J, Farrell LJ, Waters AM. Extinction of negative conditioned stimulus valence in human fear conditioning. Behav Res Ther 2024; 174:104477. [PMID: 38281443 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2024.104477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Fear conditioning is a common experimental paradigm for modelling the development, and exposure-based treatment, of anxiety disorders. Measures of fear such as threat-expectancy, physiological arousal, and fear ratings typically extinguish, however feared stimuli may still be evaluated negatively (i.e. retain negative valence). This systematic review provides the first investigation of the relationship between fear conditioning methodology and extinction of negative stimulus valence. Principal findings were that type of CS (conditioned stimulus) and the CS-US pairing (i.e. specific combination of CS and unconditioned stimulus) predicted extinction outcome. Extinction of absolute negative CS valence was always achieved with shape CSs; often achieved with low fear-relevant animals as CSs, and less frequently achieved with faces as CSs - particularly neutral faces paired with a shock US. Modified extinction procedures typically achieved the same outcome as standard extinction procedures, except for partially-reinforced extinction, which was less effective than standard extinction, and positive imagery training, which was more effective than standard extinction. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the influence of fear conditioning methodology on extinction of absolute negative CS valence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamiah Hyde
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Australia.
| | - Lara J Farrell
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Australia
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5
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Matson LA, Moeck EK, Takarangi MKT. Disgust and fear reactions uniquely affect intrusions and posttraumatic stress symptoms. J Anxiety Disord 2023; 95:102683. [PMID: 36870275 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2023.102683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Disgust reactions commonly occur during/following trauma and predict posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms. Yet, disgust is not mentioned in DSM-5 PTSD criteria. To investigate disgust's clinical significance in PTSD, we measured the relationship between disgust (and fear) reactions to a personal trauma, and problematic intrusion characteristics (e.g., distress) and intrusion symptom severity. We focused on intrusions because they are a transdiagnostic PTSD symptom, though we also measured overall PTS symptoms to replicate prior work. Participants (N = 471) recalled their most traumatic/stressful event from the past six months. They then rated disgust and fear reactions to this event and completed the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-5. Participants who had experienced intrusions about their event in the past month (n = 261) rated these intrusions on several characteristics (e.g., distress, vividness). We found stronger traumatic event-related disgust reactions were associated with more problematic intrusion characteristics, higher intrusion symptom severity, and higher overall PTS symptom severity. Notably, disgust reactions uniquely predicted these variables after statistically controlling for fear reactions. We conclude disgust reactions to trauma may be similarly pathological to fear reactions for intrusion and broader PTS symptoms. Therefore, PTSD diagnostic manuals and treatments should recognize disgust as a trauma-relevant emotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy A Matson
- College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Ella K Moeck
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Melanie K T Takarangi
- College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
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6
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Schmidt K. Attribution Impacts Implicit (And Explicit) Evaluations. SOCIAL COGNITION 2023. [DOI: 10.1521/soco.2023.41.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Two studies examined whether the attributional framing of negative events affected explicit evaluations, as measured by differences in liking, and implicit evaluations, as measured by the Implicit Association Test (Greenwald et al., 1998). In Study 1, participants read negative information about a novel target ordered to elicit internal or external attributions. Participants in the internal attribution condition evaluated the target more negatively than did those in the external attribution condition on both implicit and explicit measures. Study 2 replicated these results and tested the effects of attribution on recently formed negative evaluations. Participants who evaluated targets before and after receiving additional negative information about them demonstrated implicit and explicit evaluative change consistent with the attributional framing of that information. This research provides clear evidence that attribution influences the formation and change of implicit evaluations; however, these effects were weaker than those on explicit measures of evaluation.
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7
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Abstract
Evaluative conditioning (EC) research investigates changes in the evaluation of a stimulus after co-occurrence with an affective stimulus. To explain the motivation behind this research, this review begins with an overview of the history of EC research, followed by a summary of the state of the art with respect to three key questions. First, how should EC procedures be used to influence evaluation? We provide a guide based on evidence concerning the functional properties of EC effects. Second, how does the EC effect occur? We discuss the possible mediating cognitive processes and their automaticity. Third, are EC effects ubiquitous outside the lab? We discuss the evidence for the external validity of EC research. We conclude that the most important open questions pertain to the relevance of EC to everyday life and to the level of control that characterizes the processes that mediate the EC effect after people notice the stimulus co-occurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Moran
- Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University of Israel, Ra'anana, Israel; .,Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Yahel Nudler
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel: ,
| | - Yoav Bar-Anan
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel: ,
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8
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Richter B, Hütter M. Learning of affective meaning: revealing effects of stimulus pairing and stimulus exposure. Cogn Emot 2021; 35:1588-1606. [PMID: 34689712 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2021.1992355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Charles E. Osgood's theory of affective meaning defines affect as interplay of three meaning dimensions - evaluation, potency, and activity - that represent the central constituents of our affective ecology. Based on a rigorous Brunswikian sampling procedure, we selected a representative set of stimuli that mirror this ecology. A germane informative analysis explicates and corroborates the sampling approach. We then report two experiments testing whether these dimensions of affective meaning can be learnt by means of stimulus pairing and stimulus exposure. Our findings yield evidence for (1) stimulus pairing effects on evaluation and activity, and (2) stimulus exposure effects on potency and activity. Overall, the findings reveal that stimulus pairing and stimulus exposure differentially influence the learning of dimensions of affective meaning. We discuss implications of this research for current emotion theories as well as its contribution to research in the cognition-emotion interface. Finally, we argue that the implementation of representative design by virtue of Brunswikian sampling promotes theory development and opens new research avenues for an original and creative science of cognition and emotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Richter
- Department of Psychology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Mandy Hütter
- Department of Psychology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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9
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Halbeisen G, Paslakis G. All I Need Is Two: The Clinical Potential of Adding Evaluative Pairing Procedures to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Changing Self-, Body- and Food-Related Evaluations. J Clin Med 2021; 10:4703. [PMID: 34682826 PMCID: PMC8539260 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10204703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Pairing procedures are among the most frequently used paradigms for modifying evaluations of target stimuli related to oneself, an object, or a specific situation due to their repeated pairing with evaluative sources, such as positive or negative images or words. Because altered patterns of evaluations can be linked to the emergence and maintenance of disordered cognitions and behaviors, it has been suggested that pairing procedures may provide a simple yet effective means of complementing more complex intervention approaches, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Here, we summarize recent studies that explored the clinical potential of pairing procedures for improving self-esteem, body satisfaction, and food and consumption preferences. While no study has yet combined pairing procedures with CBT, there are several successful examples of pairing procedures in clinically relevant domains and clinical populations. We discuss potential sources of heterogeneity among findings, provide methodological recommendations, and conclude that pairing procedures may bear clinical potential as an add-on to classical psychotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg Halbeisen
- University Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, Campus East-Westfalia, Ruhr-University Bochum, Virchowstr. 65, 33312 Luebbecke, Germany;
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10
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Gawronski B. Attitudinal Effects of Stimulus Co-occurrence and Stimulus Relations: Paradoxical Effects of Cognitive Load. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2021; 48:1438-1450. [PMID: 34496704 DOI: 10.1177/01461672211044322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Research suggests that evaluations of an object can be jointly influenced by (a) the mere co-occurrence of the object with a pleasant or unpleasant stimulus (e.g., mere co-occurrence of object A and negative event B) and (b) the object's specific relation to the co-occurring stimulus (e.g., object A starts vs. stops negative event B). Three experiments investigated the impact of cognitive load during learning on the effects of stimulus co-occurrence and stimulus relations. Counter to the shared prediction of competing theories suggesting that effects of stimulus relations should be reduced by cognitive load during learning, effects of stimulus relations were greater (rather than smaller) under high-load compared with low-load conditions. Effects of stimulus co-occurrence were not significantly affected by cognitive load. The results are discussed in terms of theories suggesting that cognitive load can influence behavioral outcomes via strategic shifts in resource allocation in response to task-specific affordances.
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11
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Palombo DJ, Elizur L, Tuen YJ, Te AA, Madan CR. Transfer of negative valence in an episodic memory task. Cognition 2021; 217:104874. [PMID: 34390888 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2021.104874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Emotion can color what we perceive and subsequently remember in myriad ways. Indeed, it is well established that emotion enhances some aspects of memory, while impairing others. For example, a number of recent episodic memory studies show that emotion-particularly negative emotion-weakens associative memory, including item-item associations. Other literature shows that emotion biases our later attitudes and preferences. That is, the coincident pairing of a negative stimulus with a neutral one can reduce one's preference for that neutral stimulus upon subsequent encounter-a 'transfer of valence' effect. In an effort to connect these two phenomena, here we ask if and under what circumstances they co-occur. Across multiple experiments, we show that negative emotion impairs associative memory for item-item pairings, in accordance with prior work. We also show a transfer of valence effect in this paradigm, such that items paired with negative versus neutral stimuli are subsequently rated as less pleasant. Our data further show that transfer of valence is contingent on episodic memory. These findings highlight the complexity and multifaceted nature of emotional effects on memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela J Palombo
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Leor Elizur
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Young Ji Tuen
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Alessandra A Te
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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12
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Fan X, Bodenhausen GV, Lee AY. Acquiring favorable attitudes based on aversive affective cues: Examining the spontaneity and efficiency of propositional evaluative conditioning. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2021.104139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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13
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Schmidt JR. Apprentissage incident des associations simples de stimulus-réponse : revue de la recherche avec la tâche d’apprentissage de contingences couleur-mot. ANNEE PSYCHOLOGIQUE 2021. [DOI: 10.3917/anpsy1.212.0077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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14
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Liking as far as you like yourself: Exploring the Self-Referencing effect across multiple intersecting regularities and its relationship with self-esteem. LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lmot.2020.101693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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15
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Abstract
This special issue of Cognition and Emotion assembles recent advances in theorising and empirical research on the automaticity of evaluative learning. Based on a taxonomy of automatic processes in evaluative learning, we distinguish between processes that are involved in translating evaluative experiences into evaluative mental representations (acquisition), and processes that translate these representations into evaluative biases in perception, thought, and action (activation and application). We emphasise that automaticity concerns the operating conditions of these processes (unawareness, unintentionality, uncontrollability, efficiency), not their operating principles, and thus can vary within specific processes (e.g. inferences can occur in either an automatic or non-automatic fashion). We review and discuss contemporary theories and methodological approaches to automatic processes in evaluative learning against the backdrop of our framework, and we highlight the contributions of the papers of this special issue to the question whether and when evaluative changes can occur in an automatic manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandy Hütter
- Fachbereich Psychologie, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Klaus Rothermund
- Institut für Psychologie, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena, Germany
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16
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Shirai R, Ogawa H. Affective evaluation of images influences personality judgments through gaze perception. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0241351. [PMID: 33151950 PMCID: PMC7643958 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Faces that consistently shifted the gaze to subsequent target locations in a gaze cueing task were chosen as being more trustworthy than faces that always looked away from the target, suggesting that the validity of a gaze cue influenced the viewers' judgments regarding the trustworthiness of human faces. We investigated whether the gaze cueing effect and judgments regarding the personality conveyed by a face would be affected by the valence of a target. A face image moved its eyes to the left or the right, and an emotional target image (positive, negative, or neutral) appeared to left or right of the face. Participants had to indicate the location of this target by pressing a key. The target image was preceded by a face that shifted its gaze to the target image (valid cue), a face that directed its gaze to the opposite side (invalid cue), or a face that did not move its eyes (no cue). The perceived trustworthiness of the face was evaluated after the gaze-cueing task. Results showed that faces that looked at positive targets were evaluated as more trustworthy than faces that looked at negative targets. However, the valence of the targets did not affect trustworthiness ratings in invalid and no-cue conditions. We suggest that integrated information about the predictability of the gaze cue and the valence of the gaze target modulates impressions about the personality of the face.
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Affiliation(s)
- Risako Shirai
- Department of Integrated Psychological Sciences, Kwansei Gakuin University, Nishinomiya, Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Hirokazu Ogawa
- Department of Integrated Psychological Sciences, Kwansei Gakuin University, Nishinomiya, Japan
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17
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Make exercise easier: A brief intervention to influence implicit attitudes towards exercise and physical activity behavior. LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lmot.2020.101660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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18
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Hughes S, Mattavelli S, Hussey I, De Houwer J. The influence of extinction and counterconditioning procedures on operant evaluative conditioning and intersecting regularity effects. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:192085. [PMID: 33204439 PMCID: PMC7657930 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.192085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
One of the most effective methods of influencing what people like and dislike is to expose them to systematic patterns (or 'regularities') in the environment, such as the repeated presentation of a single stimulus (mere exposure), two or more stimuli (evaluative conditioning (EC)) or to relationships between stimuli and behaviour (approach/avoidance). Hughes et al. (2016) J. Exp. Psychol. Gen. 145, 731-754. (doi:10.1037/xge0000100) found that evaluations also emerge when regularities in the environment intersect with one another. In this paper, we examined if evaluations established via operant EC and intersecting regularities can be undermined via extinction or revised via counterconditioning. Across seven pre-registered studies (n = 1071), participants first completed a learning phase designed to establish novel evaluations followed by one of multiple forms of extinction or counterconditioning procedures designed to undo them. Results indicate that evaluations were-in general-resistant to extinction and counterconditioning. Theoretical and practical implications along with future directions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean Hughes
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Simone Mattavelli
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Ian Hussey
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jan De Houwer
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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19
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Waroquier L, Abadie M, Dienes Z. Distinguishing the role of conscious and unconscious knowledge in evaluative conditioning. Cognition 2020; 205:104460. [PMID: 32980638 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Evaluative conditioning (EC) refers to a change in liking of a conditioned stimulus (CS) subsequent to its repeated pairing with a valent stimulus (US). Two studies that bring new light on the highly debated question of the role of awareness in EC were conducted. We developed an innovative method motivated by higher order and integration theories of consciousness to distinguish between the role of conscious and unconscious knowledge about the pairings. On each trial of the awareness test, participants had to indicate the valence of the US associated with a given CS and to make a 'structural knowledge attribution' by reporting the basis of their response. Valence identification accuracy was used to evaluate knowledge while the knowledge attribution was used to measure the conscious status of knowledge. Memory attribution indicated conscious knowledge about the pairings while feeling-based and random attributions indicated unconscious knowledge. A meta-analysis of the two studies revealed that valence identification accuracy was above chance level for memory and feeling-based attributions but not for the random attribution. EC was found in the three attributions. While EC effect size was medium for the memory attribution it was small for feeling-based and random attributions. Moreover, Experiment 2 included a delayed test. EC was still present 24 h after the conditioning took place. The results obtained for memory and feeling-based attributions suggest that both conscious and unconscious knowledge may underlie EC. The results obtained for random attribution suggest that EC may also occur without any knowledge of US valence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Waroquier
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, LAPSCO, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France.
| | - Marlène Abadie
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive, Aix-Marseille Université, France
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20
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Charlesworth TES, Kurdi B, Banaji MR. Children's implicit attitude acquisition: Evaluative statements succeed, repeated pairings fail. Dev Sci 2020; 23:e12911. [DOI: 10.1111/desc.12911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Benedek Kurdi
- Department of Psychology Harvard University Cambridge MA USA
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21
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Keller NE, Hennings AC, Dunsmoor JE. Behavioral and neural processes in counterconditioning: Past and future directions. Behav Res Ther 2020; 125:103532. [PMID: 31881357 PMCID: PMC6983350 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2019.103532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Counterconditioning refers both to the technique and putative process by which behavior is modified through a new association with a stimulus of an opposite valence. Similar to extinction, counterconditioning is considered a form of inhibition that interferes with the expression of the originally learned response without erasing it. But whereas interest in extinction continues to rise, counterconditioning has received far less attention. Here, we provide an in-depth review of counterconditioning research and detail whether counterconditioning is any more effective than extinction at preventing relapse of the originally learned behavior. We consider the clinical implications of counterconditioning, describe recent neurobiological and neuroimaging research in this area, and consider future avenues in need of further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole E Keller
- University of Texas at Austin, Institute for Neuroscience, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Augustin C Hennings
- University of Texas at Austin, Institute for Neuroscience, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Joseph E Dunsmoor
- University of Texas at Austin, Institute for Neuroscience, Austin, TX, 78712, USA; University of Texas at Austin, Department of Psychiatry, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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Conditioning is More Than Association Formation: On the Different Ways in Which Conditioning Research is Valuable for Clinical Psychology. COLLABRA-PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1525/collabra.239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Cognitively-oriented clinical psychologists sometimes think of conditioning as the formation of associations in memory. From this perspective, conditioning research is important because it reveals the conditions under which potentially pathogenic associations are formed and can be changed. In this paper, I point out that it is also possible and useful to think of conditioning in ways that do not refer to associations. First, based on the idea that conditioning effects are due to the formation of propositional beliefs, it is possible to appreciate that conditioning research informs us about one way of forming or revising beliefs: via the experience of events. Second, conditioning research reveals the environmental causes of behavior and behavior change and thus has merit regardless of ideas about the cognitive processes and representations that mediate conditioning. By discussing these different perspectives on conditioning as well as the way in which they are related, I hope to provide the reader with a wider appreciation of the merits of conditioning research for clinical psychology.
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De Houwer J, Van Dessel P, Moran T. Attitudes beyond associations: On the role of propositional representations in stimulus evaluation. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aesp.2019.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
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Wagner MF, Skowronski JJ, Milner JS, Crouch JL, Ammar J. Exploring Positive Classical Conditioning Procedure Effects on Evaluations of Children, Thoughts About Children, and Behaviors Toward Children: Two Experiments. Psychol Rep 2019; 123:1753-1784. [PMID: 31856643 DOI: 10.1177/0033294119894231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Exposing parents to a positive classical conditioning (+CC) procedure can (a) prompt positive evaluations of children, (b) alter judgments made about children from their behavior, and (c) reduce harsh behaviors enacted toward children. Two studies explored possible limits of these effects. Results from Study 1 showed that only some +CC effects evinced in prior research emerged when the positive trait words used as the unconditioned stimuli in prior research were replaced with positive emojis. Results from Study 2 showed with positive trait word stimuli that a backward +CC procedure produced many of the same effects produced by the forward +CC procedure. These results collectively support the idea that +CC procedures may simultaneously prompt several different kinds of learning. From a practical perspective, consideration of these various kinds of learning is important to an understanding of when the use of the +CC procedure might reduce child abuse risk.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Joe Ammar
- Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL, USA
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Bosmans G, Waters TEA, Finet C, De Winter S, Hermans D. Trust development as an expectancy-learning process: Testing contingency effects. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0225934. [PMID: 31825994 PMCID: PMC6905544 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Trust in parental support and subsequent support seeking behavior, a hallmark of secure attachment, result from experiences with sensitive parents during distress. However, the underlying developmental mechanism remains unclear. We tested the hypothesis that trust is the result of an expectancy-learning process condtional upon contingency (the probability that caregiver support has a positive outcome). We developed a new paradigm in which a novel caregiver provides help to solve a problem. Contingency of the caregiver's support was manipulated and participants' trust in the caregiver and their help seeking behavior was measured in three independent samples. The hypothesis was supported suggesting that trust and support seeking result from an expectancy-learning process. These findings' potential contribution to attachment theory is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Chloe Finet
- Clinical Psychology, KU Leuven, Belgium
- New York University - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Dirk Hermans
- Centre for Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology, KU Leuven, Belgium
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Walther E, Blask K, Halbeisen G, Frings C. An action control perspective of evaluative conditioning. EUROPEAN REVIEW OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/10463283.2019.1699743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eva Walther
- Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
| | - Katarina Blask
- Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
| | - Georg Halbeisen
- Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
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Ecker Y, Bar-Anan Y. Sensory preconditioning of evaluation requires accurate memory of the co-occurrence between the neutral stimuli. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2019.103886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Skinner AL, Perry S. Are Attitudes Contagious? Exposure to Biased Nonverbal Signals Can Create Novel Social Attitudes. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2019; 46:514-524. [DOI: 10.1177/0146167219862616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Prior work has established that nonverbal signals that capitalize on existing cultural biases can shift attitudes toward members of familiar social groups (e.g., racial minority group members). This research is the first to examine whether nonverbal signals can influence adults’ attitudes toward unfamiliar individuals outside the context of existing cultural biases. In a series of studies, we examined whether seeing one individual receive more cold, unfriendly nonverbal signals than another individual would lead to biases in favor of the target of more positive nonverbal signals. Consistent with our preregistered hypotheses, exposure to nonverbal bias in favor of one individual over another led participants to develop nonverbal signal-consistent explicit biases. Moreover, a combined analysis of the data from all four samples indicated that participants also formed nonverbal signal-consistent implicit biases. Taken together, these findings suggest that nonverbal signals have the potential to create and spread attitudes toward others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison L. Skinner
- University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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Bading K, Stahl C, Rothermund K. Why a standard IAT effect cannot provide evidence for association formation: the role of similarity construction. Cogn Emot 2019; 34:128-143. [DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2019.1604322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Klaus Rothermund
- Institut für Psychologie, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
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30
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The influence of misinformation manipulations on evaluative conditioning. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2019; 194:28-36. [PMID: 30731394 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2019.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We tested the influence of misinformation on evaluative conditioning (EC) by giving false information about the contingencies between CS and US stimuli after a conditioning procedure. This was done by asking participants questions about the USs while inaccurately suggesting that some CSs had been paired with a US that had the opposite valence than the US it had actually been paired with. For CS-US pairs from other conditions, accurate suggestions or no suggestions at all were given to participants. This manipulation significantly moderated EC effects. For pairs that were combined with inaccurate information we found a reversed EC effect, while we found a standard EC effect for both pairs combined with no suggestions and pairs combined with accurate suggestions. Additional analyses showed that the misinformation manipulation also moderated memory for the pairs. These results show that misinformation manipulations cannot only influence explicit memory but also attitudes. Furthermore, and in line with some theories of EC, they support the relevance of explicit memory for EC effects.
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Abstract
We present a model of attribute conditioning, the phenomenon that people’s assessment of stimuli’s specific attributes (e.g., a person’s characteristics) changes due to pairings with other stimuli possessing these specific attributes (e.g., another "athletic" person). These changes in attribute assessments go beyond evaluation changes due to these pairings (i.e., evaluative conditioning effects). We provide a short historical overview of the phenomenon and the available data. Then we present a potential mental model of the effect: We assume attribute conditioning to be a form of stimulus-stimulus learning. CS-US pairings establish an enduring referential link between CS and US. We present an associative as well as a distributed memory variant of this referential link. Based on this model, we provide the answers to the specific questions that guide the present special issue. Finally, we discuss the relation of evaluative and attribute conditioning.
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32
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Bar-Anan Y, Balas R. Why Does Co-Occurrence Change Evaluation? Introduction to a Special Issue on Evaluative Conditioning. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2018. [DOI: 10.5964/spb.v13i3.29154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
None needed
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Bar-Anan Y, Moran T. Simple First: A Skeleton for an Evaluative Learning Model. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2018. [DOI: 10.5964/spb.v13i3.28761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple firstis our name for a set of hypotheses that we have found useful in our research on evaluative learning. The hypotheses are: (1) It is easier to encode and retrieve information that two concepts are linked than information about how they are linked; (2) It is easier to store and retrieve information than to make an inference based on that information; (3) When people encounter an object and memory activates valence that is mentally linked to that object, they consider the activation valid evidence that the activated valence characterizes the object. We demonstrate how these hypotheses generate useful assumptions about Evaluative Conditioning, and open paths for further research on evaluative learning and evaluation.
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Walther E, Halbeisen G, Blask K. What You Feel Is What You See: A Binding Perspective on Evaluative Conditioning. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2018. [DOI: 10.5964/spb.v13i3.27551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we outline the predominant theoretical perspectives on evaluative conditioning (EC)—the changes in liking that are due to the pairing of stimuli—identify their weaknesses, and propose a new framework, the binding perspective on EC, which might help to overcome at least some of these issues. Based on feature integration theory (Treisman & Gelade, 1980, https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-0285(80)90005-5) and the theory of event coding (TEC; Hommel, Müsseler, Aschersleben, & Prinz, 2001, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X01000103), we assume that EC depends on a selective integration mechanism that binds relevant CS, US, and action features into an event-file, while simultaneously inhibiting features irrelevant for current goals. This perspective examines hitherto unspecified processes relevant to the encoding of CS-US pairs and their consequences for behavior, which we hope will stimulate further theoretical development. We also present some preliminary evidence for binding in EC and discuss the scope and limitations of this perspective.
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Mertens G, Boddez Y, Sevenster D, Engelhard IM, De Houwer J. A review on the effects of verbal instructions in human fear conditioning: Empirical findings, theoretical considerations, and future directions. Biol Psychol 2018; 137:49-64. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2018.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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36
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Mattavelli S, Richetin J, Perugini M. Not all positive categories are alike: Exploring the superiority of the self as a positive source for associative attitude change via intersecting regularities. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Marco Perugini
- Department of Psychology University of Milan‐Bicocca Milan Italy
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37
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Mierop A, Hütter M, Stahl C, Corneille O. Does attitude acquisition in evaluative conditioning without explicit CS-US memory reflect implicit misattribution of affect? Cogn Emot 2018; 33:173-184. [DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2018.1435505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adrien Mierop
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Mandy Hütter
- Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Lascelles KRR, Davey GCL. Successful differential evaluative conditioning using simultaneous and trace conditioning procedures in the picture–picture paradigm. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2018; 59:482-92. [PMID: 16627351 DOI: 10.1080/02724990444000140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
This paper describes a study designed to investigate the efficacy of two traditional classical conditioning procedures in generating evaluative conditioning (EC) in the picture–picture paradigm in human participants. Differential EC was found using both simultaneous and trace conditioning procedures. In addition, the use of a block–subblock (BSB) nonpaired control condition and full counterbalancing of conditioned stimulus–unconditioned stimulus (CS–UCS) pairings across participants indicated that the observed EC effects were the result of associative learning. Examination of whether successful conditioning could take place with or without conscious awareness of CS–UCS contingencies was inconclusive. The results provide evidence for EC as an associative process and also provide some insight into the possible conditioning parameters that might successfully generate EC.
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Glaser T, Kuchenbrandt D. Generalization Effects in Evaluative Conditioning: Evidence for Attitude Transfer Effects from Single Exemplars to Social Categories. Front Psychol 2017; 8:103. [PMID: 28197118 PMCID: PMC5282796 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The present research investigated whether evaluatively conditioned attitudes toward members of a social category (CSs) generalize to other stimuli belonging to the same category as the CSs (generalization at the stimulus level) and to the category itself (generalization at the category level). In four experiments, USs were paired with schematic or naturalistic CSs belonging to certain fictitious groups. Afterward, attitudes toward the CSs, toward non-presented exemplars of the CS category, and toward the CS category were assessed. Results revealed evidence for generalization effects in EC on both the stimulus and the category level. Transfer effects were greater when participants’ awareness of the CS–US contingency (CA) was high. Moreover, we found differences in generalization between the stimulus and category level, indicating that different processes might contribute to the effects. Theoretical and practical implications such as using EC as a tool for changing attitudes toward social groups will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Glaser
- Department of Psychology and Sport Sciences, Bielefeld University Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Dieta Kuchenbrandt
- Department of Psychology and Sport Sciences, Bielefeld University Bielefeld, Germany
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Kocsor F, Bereczkei T. Evaluative conditioning leads to differences in the social evaluation of prototypical faces. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2016.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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41
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Hughes S, De Houwer J, Barnes-Holmes D. The Moderating Impact of Distal Regularities on the Effect of Stimulus Pairings. Exp Psychol 2016; 63:20-44. [PMID: 27025533 DOI: 10.1027/1618-3169/a000310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Throughout much of the past century psychologists have focused their attention on a seemingly simple question: How do people come to like or dislike stimuli in the environment? Evaluative Conditioning (EC) - a change in liking due to the pairing of stimuli - has been offered as one avenue through which novel preferences may be formed and existing ones altered. In the current article, we offer a new look at EC from the perspective of Contextual Behavioral Science (CBS) and, more specifically, Relational Frame Theory (RFT). We briefly review the EC literature, introduce Contextual Behavioral Science (CBS), Relational Frame Theory (RFT), and then describe a behavioral phenomenon known as arbitrarily applicable relational responding (AARR). Afterwards, we examine the relationship between EC and AARR. This novel perspective offers ways to organize existing as well as predict new EC effects, contributes to debates on "genuine" EC, human versus nonhuman EC, and further facilitates the development and refinement of cognitive theories of EC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean Hughes
- 1 Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Jan De Houwer
- 1 Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Dermot Barnes-Holmes
- 1 Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium
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Gast A, Langer S, Sengewald MA. Evaluative conditioning increases with temporal contiguity. The influence of stimulus order and stimulus interval on evaluative conditioning. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2016; 170:177-85. [PMID: 27543928 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2016.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2015] [Revised: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Evaluative conditioning (EC) is a change in valence that is due to pairing a conditioned stimulus (CS) with another, typically valent, unconditioned stimulus (US). This paper investigates how basic presentation parameters moderate EC effects. In two studies we tested the effectiveness of different temporal relations of the CS and the US, that is, the order in which the stimuli were presented and the temporal distance between them. Both studies showed that the size of EC effects was independent of the presentation order of CS and US within a stimulus pair. Contrary to classical conditioning effects, EC effects are thus not most pronounced after CS-first presentations. Furthermore, as shown in Experiment 2, EC effects increased in magnitude as the temporal interval between CS and US presentations decreased. Experiment 1 showed largest EC effects in the condition with simultaneous presentations - which can be seen as the condition with the temporally closest presentation. In this Experiment stimuli were presented in two different modalities, which might have facilitated simultaneous processing. In Experiment 2, in which all stimuli were presented visually, this advantage of simultaneous presentation was not found. We discuss practical and theoretical implications of our findings.
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Hütter M, Fiedler K. Editorial: Conceptual, Theoretical, and Methodological Challenges in Evaluative Conditioning Research. SOCIAL COGNITION 2016. [DOI: 10.1521/soco.2016.34.5.343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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44
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Halbeisen G, Walther E. Evaluative Conditioning is Sensitive to the Encoding of CS-US Contingencies. SOCIAL COGNITION 2016. [DOI: 10.1521/soco.2016.34.5.462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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Moran T, Bar-Anan Y, Nosek BA. The Assimilative Effect of Co-Occurrence on Evaluation Above and Beyond the Effect of Relational Qualifiers. SOCIAL COGNITION 2016. [DOI: 10.1521/soco.2016.34.5.435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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46
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Violation of eating expectancies does not reduce conditioned desires for chocolate. Appetite 2016; 100:10-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2016.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Revised: 01/28/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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47
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Luck CC, Lipp OV. The influence of contingency reversal instructions on electrodermal responding and conditional stimulus valence evaluations during differential fear conditioning. LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lmot.2016.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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48
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Blanchette I, Treillet V, Davies SR. Affective learning in adults with intellectual disability: an experiment using evaluative conditioning. JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH : JIDR 2016; 60:263-273. [PMID: 26677114 DOI: 10.1111/jir.12246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2014] [Revised: 08/19/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evaluative conditioning is a form of affective learning in which initially neutral stimuli acquire an affective value through association with negative or positive stimuli. Recent research shows an important role for cognitive resources in this type of learning. This form of affective learning has rarely been studied in intellectual disability (ID). METHOD We examined evaluative conditioning in 16 adults with mild to moderate ID compared to age- and gender-matched control participants. Neutral shapes and symbols were repeatedly paired with positive, neutral or negative unconditioned stimuli (faces or International Affective Picture System images). There was also an extinction phase. RESULTS There was significant acquisition of conditioning in both groups. Stimuli paired with positive images were evaluated more positively, and stimuli paired with negative images were evaluated more negatively. Post-extinction ratings however show that these novel affective associations were not maintained by individuals with ID as much as by individuals in the control group. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that ID modulates some aspects of affective learning but not necessarily initial preference acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Blanchette
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Canada
| | - V Treillet
- Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Canada
| | - S R Davies
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
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Improving Exercise Adherence and Physical Measures in English-Speaking Latina Women. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2016; 2:517-26. [PMID: 26863558 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-015-0100-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2014] [Revised: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/27/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epidemiological data have established that lack of physical activity increases risk factors for chronic diseases. Data also suggests that physical activity participation is lowest in minority women, particularly Latinas, and that the nature of the exercise and attitudes toward exercise may influence exercise adherence. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of hypertrophy training (HT) or power training (PT) used concomitantly with evaluative conditioning (EC) or neutral conditioning (NC) on exercise adherence as well as in physical and psychosocial variables in Latina women. EC is a behavioral method using paired stimuli to develop and strengthen new associations in memory. METHODS Two hundred thirty-one English-speaking Latina women (mean ± SD, age 36.8 ± 15.9 years) were randomly assigned to standard HT or high-speed circuit PT and then further stratified to receive EC or NC. RESULTS One hundred forty-two Latina women completed pre- and posttesting. For HT, EC produced significantly greater exercise time across the training period than NC. HT and PT both significantly improved all physical, functional, and psychosocial variables, with exception of leg extension and usual gait speed (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION EC can positively impact exercise adherence during HT in Latina women; while body composition, neuromuscular, and functional performances can be increased using HT and PT independent of psychological conditioning.
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Haynes A, Kemps E, Moffitt R. The moderating role of state inhibitory control in the effect of evaluative conditioning on temptation and unhealthy snacking. Physiol Behav 2015; 152:135-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Revised: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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