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McAlpine T, Mullan BA, Dorina I. Comparison of approach/avoidance intentions for alcohol and vegetable consumption under a temporal self-regulation theory framework. Psychol Health 2024:1-22. [PMID: 38952006 DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2024.2372649] [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: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to compare the differences between the framing of intention (approach vs. avoidance) and the type of self-regulatory capacity (planning vs. inhibition) to predict two behaviours (alcohol vs. vegetable consumption). Interaction effects between temporal self-regulation theory constructs were also explored. METHODS UK participants were recruited online (N = 254) and completed measures of intention (approach and avoidance), self-regulatory capacity (planning and inhibition), and behavioural prepotency (habit) related to alcohol and vegetable consumption. One week later, consumption was assessed. RESULTS Habit strength and approach-intentions consistently predicted consumption across each model for both behaviours. There was mixed support for avoidance-intentions and self-regulatory capacity variables in predicting consumption. Planning was more important in vegetable consumption than in alcohol consumption, and avoidance-intentions were only predictive in alcohol consumption. Inhibition was not significant for either behaviour. The interaction between approach-intention and planning was the only significant moderation detected and was only present in vegetable consumption. CONCLUSION The framing of intentions and the sub-facet of self-regulatory capacity are important to consider when attempting to explain health behaviours. Furthermore, theoretically defined moderation between temporal self-regulation theory variables might also depend on the type of behaviour and specific measured used to capture self-regulatory capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas McAlpine
- enAble Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
- School of Population Health, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - Barbara A Mullan
- enAble Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
- School of Population Health, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - Indita Dorina
- enAble Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
- School of Population Health, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
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2
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Winkler-Schor S, Brauer M. What Happens When Payments End? Fostering Long-Term Behavior Change With Financial Incentives. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2024:17456916241247152. [PMID: 38767968 DOI: 10.1177/17456916241247152] [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: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Financial incentives are widely used to get people to adopt desirable behaviors. Many small landholders in developing countries, for example, receive multiyear payments to engage in conservation behaviors, and the hope is that they will continue to engage in these behaviors after the program ends. Although effective in the short term, financial incentives rarely lead to long-term behavior change because program participants tend to revert to their initial behaviors soon after the payments stop. In this article, we propose that four psychological constructs can be leveraged to increase the long-term effectiveness of financial-incentive programs: motivation, habit formation, social norms, and recursive processes. We review successful and unsuccessful behavior-change initiatives involving financial incentives in several domains: public health, education, sustainability, and conservation. We make concrete recommendations on how to implement the four above-mentioned constructs in field settings. Finally, we identify unresolved issues that future research might want to address to advance knowledge, promote theory development, and understand the psychological mechanisms that can be used to improve the effectiveness of incentive programs in the real world.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Markus Brauer
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
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3
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Banca P, Herrojo Ruiz M, Gonzalez-Zalba MF, Biria M, Marzuki AA, Piercy T, Sule A, Fineberg NA, Robbins TW. Action sequence learning, habits, and automaticity in obsessive-compulsive disorder. eLife 2024; 12:RP87346. [PMID: 38722306 PMCID: PMC11081634 DOI: 10.7554/elife.87346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
This study investigates the goal/habit imbalance theory of compulsion in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which postulates enhanced habit formation, increased automaticity, and impaired goal/habit arbitration. It directly tests these hypotheses using newly developed behavioral tasks. First, OCD patients and healthy participants were trained daily for a month using a smartphone app to perform chunked action sequences. Despite similar procedural learning and attainment of habitual performance (measured by an objective automaticity criterion) by both groups, OCD patients self-reported higher subjective habitual tendencies via a recently developed questionnaire. Subsequently, in a re-evaluation task assessing choices between established automatic and novel goal-directed actions, both groups were sensitive to re-evaluation based on monetary feedback. However, OCD patients, especially those with higher compulsive symptoms and habitual tendencies, showed a clear preference for trained/habitual sequences when choices were based on physical effort, possibly due to their higher attributed intrinsic value. These patients also used the habit-training app more extensively and reported symptom relief post-study. The tendency to attribute higher intrinsic value to familiar actions may be a potential mechanism leading to compulsions and an important addition to the goal/habit imbalance hypothesis in OCD. We also highlight the potential of smartphone app training as a habit reversal therapeutic tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Banca
- Department of Psychology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Maria Herrojo Ruiz
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths University of LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Marjan Biria
- Department of Psychology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Aleya A Marzuki
- Department of Psychology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Thomas Piercy
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Akeem Sule
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Naomi A Fineberg
- Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation TrustWelwyn Garden CityUnited Kingdom
- University of HertfordshireHatfieldUnited Kingdom
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
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4
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Nebe S, Kretzschmar A, Brandt MC, Tobler PN. Characterizing Human Habits in the Lab. COLLABRA. PSYCHOLOGY 2024; 10:92949. [PMID: 38463460 PMCID: PMC7615722 DOI: 10.1525/collabra.92949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Habits pose a fundamental puzzle for those aiming to understand human behavior. They pervade our everyday lives and dominate some forms of psychopathology but are extremely hard to elicit in the lab. In this Registered Report, we developed novel experimental paradigms grounded in computational models, which suggest that habit strength should be proportional to the frequency of behavior and, in contrast to previous research, independent of value. Specifically, we manipulated how often participants performed responses in two tasks varying action repetition without, or separately from, variations in value. Moreover, we asked how this frequency-based habitization related to value-based operationalizations of habit and self-reported propensities for habitual behavior in real life. We find that choice frequency during training increases habit strength at test and that this form of habit shows little relation to value-based operationalizations of habit. Our findings empirically ground a novel perspective on the constituents of habits and suggest that habits may arise in the absence of external reinforcement. We further find no evidence for an overlap between different experimental approaches to measuring habits and no associations with self-reported real-life habits. Thus, our findings call for a rigorous reassessment of our understanding and measurement of human habitual behavior in the lab.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Nebe
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - André Kretzschmar
- Individual Differences and Assessment, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maike C. Brandt
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philippe N. Tobler
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Switzerland
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5
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De Houwer J, Finn M, Boddez Y, Hughes S, Cummins J. Relating different perspectives on how outcomes of behavior influence behavior. J Exp Anal Behav 2024; 121:123-133. [PMID: 37877755 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Many researchers have tackled the question of how behavior is influenced by its outcomes. Some have adopted a nonmechanistic (functional) perspective that attempts to describe the influence of outcomes on behavior. Others have adopted a mechanistic (cognitive) perspective that attempts to explain the influence of outcomes on behavior. Orthogonal to this distinction, some have focused on the influence of outcomes that a behavior had in the past, whereas others also consider the influence of outcomes that a behavior might have in the future. In this article, we relate these different perspectives with the goal of reducing misunderstandings and fostering collaborations between researchers who adopt different perspectives on the common question of how behavior is influenced by its outcomes.
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6
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Agrawal T, Schachner A. Aesthetic Motivation Impacts Judgments of Others' Prosociality and Mental Life. Open Mind (Camb) 2023; 7:947-980. [PMID: 38111474 PMCID: PMC10727777 DOI: 10.1162/opmi_a_00113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to infer others' prosocial vs. antisocial behavioral tendencies from minimal information is core to social reasoning. Aesthetic motivation (the value or appreciation of aesthetic beauty) is linked with prosocial tendencies, raising the question of whether this factor is used in interpersonal reasoning and in the attribution of mental capacities. We propose and test a model of this reasoning, predicting that evidence of others' aesthetic motivations should impact judgments of others' prosocial (and antisocial) tendencies by signaling a heightened capacity for emotional experience. In a series of four pre-registered experiments (total N = 1440), participants saw pairs of characters (as photos/vignettes), and judged which in each pair showed more of a mental capacity of interest. Distractor items prevented participants from guessing the hypothesis. For one critical pair of characters, both characters performed the same activity (music listening, painting, cooking, exercising, being in nature, doing math), but one was motivated by the activities' aesthetic value, and the other by its functional value. Across all activities, participants robustly chose aesthetically-motivated characters as more likely to behave compassionately (Exp. 1; 3), less likely to behave selfishly/manipulatively (Exp. 1; 3), and as more emotionally sensitive, but not more intelligent (Exp. 2; 3; 4). Emotional sensitivity best predicted compassionate behavior judgements (Exp. 3). Aesthetically-motivated characters were not reliably chosen as more helpful; intelligence best predicted helpfulness judgements (Exp. 4). Evidence of aesthetic motivation conveys important social information about others, impacting fundamental interpersonal judgments about others' mental life and social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adena Schachner
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego
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7
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Luna R, Vadillo MA, Luque D. Model-free decision making resists improved instructions and is enhanced by stimulus-response associations. Cortex 2023; 168:102-113. [PMID: 37690266 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.06.009] [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: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Human behaviour may be thought of as supported by two different computational-learning mechanisms, model-free and model-based respectively. In model-free strategies, stimulus-response associations are strengthened when actions are followed by a reward and weakened otherwise. In model-based learning, previous to selecting an action, the current values of the different possible actions are computed based on a detailed model of the environment. Previous research with the two-stage task suggests that participants' behaviour usually shows a mixture of both strategies. But, interestingly, a recent study by da Silva and Hare (2020) found that participants primarily deploy model-based behaviour when they are given detailed instructions about the structure of the task. In the present study, we reproduce this essential experiment. Our results confirm that improved instructions give rise to a stronger model-based component. Crucially, we also found a significant effect of reward that became stronger under conditions that favoured the development of strong stimulus-response associations. This suggests that the effect of reward, often taken as indicator of a model-free component, is related to stimulus-response learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raúl Luna
- Institute of Optics, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Spain.
| | - Miguel A Vadillo
- Department of Basic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain
| | - David Luque
- Department of Basic Psychology and Speech Therapy, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad de Málaga, Spain.
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8
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Concari A, Kok G, Martens P, Brink N. Investigating the Role of Goals and Motivation on Waste Separation Behavior Through the Lens of the Theory of Reasoned Goal Pursuit. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 72:1019-1031. [PMID: 37133579 PMCID: PMC10154762 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-023-01820-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays the prediction and change of waste-related behaviors represent a key topic for scholars and policy makers. The theoretical mainstays applied to waste separation behavior, such as the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the Norm Activation Model and the Value Belief Norm, do not include the construct of goal in their formulation. Other goal-focused theories, such as the Goal Systems Theory (GST), lack applications on separation behavior. Recently, Ajzen and Kruglanski (2019) have proposed the Theory of Reasoned Goal Pursuit (TRGP) which combines TPB and GST. Considering TRGP has the potential to offer further insights on human behavior and, to our knowledge, there is no application of TRGP to recycling behavior yet, this paper analyses waste separation behavior of households in Maastricht and Zwolle (The Netherlands) under the lens of TRGP. Although waste separation behavior represents a kind of habitual behavior, this paper highlights the influence of goals and motivation on intention to separate waste. Furthermore, it offers some indications to promote behavior change and some suggestions for future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Concari
- University College Venlo, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - Gerjo Kok
- Department of Work & Social Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Pim Martens
- University College Venlo, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Nathalie Brink
- Maastricht Sustainability Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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9
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Goschke T, Job V. The Willpower Paradox: Possible and Impossible Conceptions of Self-Control. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023; 18:1339-1367. [PMID: 36791675 PMCID: PMC10623621 DOI: 10.1177/17456916221146158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Self-control denotes the ability to override current desires to render behavior consistent with long-term goals. A key assumption is that self-control is required when short-term desires are transiently stronger (more preferred) than long-term goals and people would yield to temptation without exerting self-control. We argue that this widely shared conception of self-control raises a fundamental yet rarely discussed conceptual paradox: How is it possible that a person most strongly desires to perform a behavior (e.g., eat chocolate) and at the same time desires to recruit self-control to prevent themselves from doing it? A detailed analysis reveals that three common assumptions about self-control cannot be true simultaneously. To avoid the paradox, any coherent theory of self-control must abandon either the assumption (a) that recruitment of self-control is an intentional process, or (b) that humans are unitary agents, or (c) that self-control consists in overriding the currently strongest desire. We propose a taxonomy of different kinds of self-control processes that helps organize current theories according to which of these assumptions they abandon. We conclude by outlining unresolved questions and future research perspectives raised by different conceptions of self-control and discuss implications for the question of whether self-control can be considered rational.
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10
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van der Westhuizen C, Botha TL, Finger-Baier K, Brouwer GD, Wolmarans DW. Contingency learning in zebrafish exposed to apomorphine- and levetiracetam. Behav Pharmacol 2023; 34:424-436. [PMID: 37578419 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive rigidity (CR) refers to inadequate executive adaptation in the face of changing circumstances. Increased CR is associated with a number of psychiatric disorders, for example, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and improving cognitive functioning by targeting CR in these conditions, may be fruitful. Levetiracetam (LEV), clinically used to treat epilepsy, may have pro-cognitive effects by restoring balance to neuronal signalling. To explore this possibility, we applied apomorphine (APO) exposure in an attempt to induce rigid cue-directed responses following a cue (visual pattern)-reward (social conspecifics) contingency learning phase and to assess the effects of LEV on such behaviours. Briefly, zebrafish were divided into four different 39-day-long exposure groups ( n = 9-10) as follows: control (CTRL), APO (100 µg/L), LEV (750 µg/L) and APO + LEV (100 µg/L + 750 µg/L). The main findings of this experiment were that 1) all four exposure groups performed similarly with respect to reward- and cue-directed learning over the first two study phases, 2) compared to the CTRL group, all drug interventions, but notably the APO + LEV combination, lowered the degree of reward-directed behaviour during a dissociated presentation of the cue and reward, and 3) temporal and spatial factors influenced the manner in which zebrafish responded to the presentation of the reward. Future studies are needed to explore the relevance of these findings for our understanding of the potential cognitive effects of LEV.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tarryn L Botha
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom
- Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Karin Finger-Baier
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, now: Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Geoffrey de Brouwer
- Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health, North-West University
| | - De Wet Wolmarans
- Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health, North-West University
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11
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Mehrotra D, Dubé L. Accounting for multiscale processing in adaptive real-world decision-making via the hippocampus. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1200842. [PMID: 37732307 PMCID: PMC10508350 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1200842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
For adaptive real-time behavior in real-world contexts, the brain needs to allow past information over multiple timescales to influence current processing for making choices that create the best outcome as a person goes about making choices in their everyday life. The neuroeconomics literature on value-based decision-making has formalized such choice through reinforcement learning models for two extreme strategies. These strategies are model-free (MF), which is an automatic, stimulus-response type of action, and model-based (MB), which bases choice on cognitive representations of the world and causal inference on environment-behavior structure. The emphasis of examining the neural substrates of value-based decision making has been on the striatum and prefrontal regions, especially with regards to the "here and now" decision-making. Yet, such a dichotomy does not embrace all the dynamic complexity involved. In addition, despite robust research on the role of the hippocampus in memory and spatial learning, its contribution to value-based decision making is just starting to be explored. This paper aims to better appreciate the role of the hippocampus in decision-making and advance the successor representation (SR) as a candidate mechanism for encoding state representations in the hippocampus, separate from reward representations. To this end, we review research that relates hippocampal sequences to SR models showing that the implementation of such sequences in reinforcement learning agents improves their performance. This also enables the agents to perform multiscale temporal processing in a biologically plausible manner. Altogether, we articulate a framework to advance current striatal and prefrontal-focused decision making to better account for multiscale mechanisms underlying various real-world time-related concepts such as the self that cumulates over a person's life course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhruv Mehrotra
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Laurette Dubé
- Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- McGill Center for the Convergence of Health and Economics, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
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12
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Kruglanski AW, Ellenberg M, Szumowska E, Molinario E, Speckhard A, Leander NP, Pierro A, Di Cicco G, Bushman BJ. Frustration-aggression hypothesis reconsidered: The role of significance quest. Aggress Behav 2023; 49:445-468. [PMID: 37282763 DOI: 10.1002/ab.22092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
One of the oldest scientific theories of human aggression is the frustration-aggression hypothesis, advanced in 1939. Although this theory has received considerable empirical support and is alive and well today, its underlying mechanisms have not been adequately explored. In this article, we examine major findings and concepts from extant psychological research on hostile aggression and offer an integrative conception: aggression is a primordial means for establishing one's sense of significance and mattering, thus addressing a fundamental social-psychological need. Our functional portrayal of aggression as a means to significance yields four testable hypotheses: (1) frustration will elicit hostile aggression proportionately to the extent that the frustrated goal serves the individual's need for significance, (2) the impulse to aggress in response to significance loss will be enhanced in conditions that limit the individual's ability to reflect and engage in extensive information processing (that may bring up alternative, socially condoned means to significance), (3) significance-reducing frustration will elicit hostile aggression unless the impulse to aggress is substituted by a nonaggressive means of significance restoration, (4) apart from significance loss, an opportunity for significance gain can increase the impulse to aggress. These hypotheses are supported by extant data as well as novel research findings in real-world contexts. They have important implications for understanding human aggression and the conditions under which it is likely to be manifested and reduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arie W Kruglanski
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Molly Ellenberg
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Ewa Szumowska
- Institute of Psychology, Department of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Erica Molinario
- Department of Psychology - The Water School, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, Florida, USA
- Institute of Psychology, Department of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University Krakow, Krakow, Poland
| | - Anne Speckhard
- Founding Director - International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism (ICSVE), Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - N Pontus Leander
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Antonio Pierro
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Rome, "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Di Cicco
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Rome, "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy
| | - Brad J Bushman
- School of Communication, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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13
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Claassen MA, Lomann M, Papies EK. Increased consumption despite fewer occasions: A longitudinal analysis of COVID-19 lockdown effects on soft drink consumption in England. Appetite 2023; 187:106579. [PMID: 37148974 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.106579] [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: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
We examined the impact of a COVID-19 lockdown in England on the frequency of consumption occasions and amount of soft drinks consumed. Beverage consumption is strongly associated with specific, often social, consumption situations (e.g., going out). We reasoned that lockdown would affect consumption behaviour because it removed typical soft drink consumption situations. Specifically, we hypothesised that soft drink consumption occasions and amount would be reduced during lockdown compared to before and after lockdown, especially in typical soft drink consumption situations. In two surveys (Dec. 2020 and May 2021) among the same participants (N = 211, N = 160; consuming soft drinks at least once/week), we assessed the frequency of soft drink and water consumption occasions before, during, and after the Nov./Dec. 2020 lockdown, across typical soft drink and water drinking situations. This presents a detailed picture of the situations in which participants drink soft drinks and water, and how this was affected by a lockdown. We also assessed the daily amount of soft drinks and water consumed in each period, and perceived habitualness of drinking soft drinks and water. As predicted, participants reported fewer occasions of drinking soft drinks during lockdown compared to before and after, especially in typical soft drink consumption situations. Unexpectedly, however, the daily amount of soft drinks consumed increased during lockdown, compared to before and after, especially among participants with stronger perceived habitualness of soft drink consumption. Exploratory analyses suggest that during lockdown, participants increased their soft drink consumption at home. Water consumption, on the other hand, was not systematically affected by the lockdown. These findings suggest that even if some typical consumption situations disappear, consumption may be hard to disrupt if the behaviour is rewarding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Almudena Claassen
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, UK; Center for Adaptive Rationality, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.
| | | | - Esther K Papies
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, UK
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14
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De Houwer J, Buabang EK, Boddez Y, Köster M, Moors A. Reasons to Remain Critical About the Literature on Habits: A Commentary on Wood et al. (2022). PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023; 18:871-875. [PMID: 36356057 DOI: 10.1177/17456916221131508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Wood et al. (2022) reviewed arguments in support of the idea that much of human behavior is habitual. In this commentary, we first point at ambiguities in the way Wood et al. referred to habits. This allows us to clarify the question that lies at the core of the debate on habits: To what extent is habitual behavior mediated by stimulus-response associations or by goal representations? We then argue that Wood et al. dismissed goal-directed explanations of habitual behavior too easily. Finally, we point out that Wood et al.'s reanalysis of our data is misleading in that a more fine-grained analysis supports rather than questions goal-directed accounts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan De Houwer
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University
| | | | - Yannick Boddez
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University
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15
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Dutriaux L, Clark NE, Papies EK, Scheepers C, Barsalou LW. The Situated Assessment Method (SAM2): Establishing individual differences in habitual behavior. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286954. [PMID: 37347753 PMCID: PMC10287018 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
From the perspectives of grounded, situated, and embodied cognition, we have developed a new approach for assessing individual differences. Because this approach is grounded in two dimensions of situatedness-situational experience and the Situated Action Cycle-we refer to it as the Situated Assessment Method (SAM2). Rather than abstracting over situations during assessment of a construct (as in traditional assessment instruments), SAM2 assesses a construct in situations where it occurs, simultaneously measuring factors from the Situated Action Cycle known to influence it. To demonstrate this framework, we developed the SAM2 Habitual Behavior Instrument (SAM2 HBI). Across three studies with a total of 442 participants, the SAM2 HBI produced a robust and replicable pattern of results at both the group and individual levels. Trait-level measures of habitual behavior exhibited large reliable individual differences in the regularity of performing positive versus negative habits. Situational assessments established large effects of situations and large situation by individual interactions. Several sources of evidence demonstrated construct and content validity for SAM2 measures of habitual behavior. At both the group and individual levels, these measures were associated with factors from the Situated Action Cycle known to influence habitual behavior in the literature (consistency, automaticity, immediate reward, long-term reward). Regressions explained approximately 65% of the variance at the group level and a median of approximately 75% at the individual level. SAM2 measures further exhibited well-established interactions with personality measures for self-control and neuroticism. Cognitive-affective processes from the Situated Action Cycle explained nearly all the variance in these interactions. Finally, a composite measure of habitualness established habitual behaviors at both the group and individual levels. Additionally, a composite measure of reward was positively related to the composite measure of habitualness, increasing with self-control and decreasing with neuroticism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léo Dutriaux
- Laboratoire sur les Interactions Cognition, Action, Émotion (LICAÉ), Université Paris Nanterre, Nanterre Cedex, France
| | - Naomi E. Clark
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Esther K. Papies
- School of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Christoph Scheepers
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Lawrence W. Barsalou
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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16
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Yamada K, Toda K. Habit formation viewed as structural change in the behavioral network. Commun Biol 2023; 6:303. [PMID: 37016036 PMCID: PMC10073220 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04500-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Habit formation is a process in which an action becomes involuntary. While goal-directed behavior is driven by its consequences, habits are elicited by a situation rather than its consequences. Existing theories have proposed that actions are controlled by corresponding two distinct systems. Although canonical theories based on such distinctions are starting to be challenged, there are a few theoretical frameworks that implement goal-directed behavior and habits within a single system. Here, we propose a novel theoretical framework by hypothesizing that behavior is a network composed of several responses. With this framework, we have shown that the transition of goal-directed actions to habits is caused by a change in a single network structure. Furthermore, we confirmed that the proposed network model behaves in a manner consistent with the existing experimental results reported in animal behavioral studies. Our results revealed that habit could be formed under the control of a single system rather than two distinct systems. By capturing the behavior as a single network change, this framework provides a new perspective on studying the structure of the behavior for experimental and theoretical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kota Yamada
- Department of Psychology, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.
- Japan Society for Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Koji Toda
- Department of Psychology, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
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17
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Gardner B, Arden MA, Brown D, Eves FF, Green J, Hamilton K, Hankonen N, Inauen J, Keller J, Kwasnicka D, Labudek S, Marien H, Masaryk R, McCleary N, Mullan BA, Neter E, Orbell S, Potthoff S, Lally P. Developing habit-based health behaviour change interventions: twenty-one questions to guide future research. Psychol Health 2023; 38:518-540. [PMID: 34779335 DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2021.2003362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Habitual behaviours are triggered automatically, with little conscious forethought. Theory suggests that making healthy behaviours habitual, and breaking the habits that underpin many ingrained unhealthy behaviours, promotes long-term behaviour change. This has prompted interest in incorporating habit formation and disruption strategies into behaviour change interventions. Yet, notable research gaps limit understanding of how to harness habit to change real-world behaviours. METHODS Discussions among health psychology researchers and practitioners, at the 2019 European Health Psychology Society 'Synergy Expert Meeting', generated pertinent questions to guide further research into habit and health behaviour. RESULTS In line with the four topics discussed at the meeting, 21 questions were identified, concerning: how habit manifests in health behaviour (3 questions); how to form healthy habits (5 questions); how to break unhealthy habits (4 questions); and how to develop and evaluate habit-based behaviour change interventions (9 questions). CONCLUSIONS While our questions transcend research contexts, accumulating knowledge across studies of specific health behaviours, settings, and populations will build a broader understanding of habit change principles and how they may be embedded into interventions. We encourage researchers and practitioners to prioritise these questions, to further theory and evidence around how to create long-lasting health behaviour change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Gardner
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Madelynne A Arden
- Centre for Behavioural Science and Applied Psychology, Department of Psychology, Sociology & Politics, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK
| | - Daniel Brown
- Department of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Frank F Eves
- School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - James Green
- School of Allied Health and Physical Activity for Health Research Cluster (Health Research Institute), University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Kyra Hamilton
- Griffith University and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Mt Gravatt, Qld, Australia
| | - Nelli Hankonen
- Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jennifer Inauen
- Department of Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jan Keller
- Division Health Psychology, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dominika Kwasnicka
- Faculty of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Wrocław, Poland.,NHMRC CRE in Digital Technology to Transform Chronic Disease Outcomes, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sarah Labudek
- Network Aging Research (NAR), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hans Marien
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Radomír Masaryk
- Institute of Applied Psychology, Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Nicola McCleary
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada.,School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Barbara A Mullan
- Behavioural Science and Health Research Group, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Efrat Neter
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Emeq Hefer, Israel
| | - Sheina Orbell
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Essex, UK
| | - Sebastian Potthoff
- Department of Social Work, Education, and Community Wellbeing, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Phillippa Lally
- Research Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK
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18
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Köster M, Buabang EK, Ivančir T, Moors A. A value accumulation account of unhealthy food choices: testing the influence of outcome salience under varying time constraints. Cogn Res Princ Implic 2023; 8:4. [PMID: 36633704 PMCID: PMC9835743 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-022-00459-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
People often engage in unhealthy eating despite having an explicit goal to follow a healthy diet, especially under certain conditions such as a lack of time. A promising explanation from the value accumulation account is that food choices are based on the sequential consideration of the values of multiple outcomes, such as health and taste outcomes. Unhealthy choices may result if taste is considered before health. We examined whether making a health outcome more salient could alter this order, thereby leading to more healthy choices even under time pressure. Two studies examined the time-dependent effect of outcome values and salience on food choices. Participants first completed priming trials on which they rated food items on healthiness (health condition), tastiness (taste condition), or both healthiness and tastiness (control condition). They then completed blocks of binary choice trials between healthy and tasty items. The available response time was manipulated continuously in Study 1 (N = 161) and categorically in Study 2 (N = 318). As predicted, results showed that the values of health and taste outcomes influenced choices and that priming led to more choices in line with the primed outcomes even when time was scarce. We did not obtain support for the prediction that the priming effect is time-dependent in the sense that primed outcomes are considered before non-primed outcomes. Together, these findings suggest that increasing the value and salience of a health outcome may be effective ways to increase healthy choices, even under poor conditions such as time pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Köster
- grid.5596.f0000 0001 0668 7884Research Group of Quantitative Psychology and Individual Differences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium ,grid.5596.f0000 0001 0668 7884Center for Social and Cultural Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Eike K. Buabang
- grid.5596.f0000 0001 0668 7884Research Group of Quantitative Psychology and Individual Differences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium ,grid.5596.f0000 0001 0668 7884Center for Social and Cultural Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium ,grid.8217.c0000 0004 1936 9705Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Tina Ivančir
- grid.5596.f0000 0001 0668 7884Research Group of Quantitative Psychology and Individual Differences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium ,grid.5596.f0000 0001 0668 7884Center for Social and Cultural Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Agnes Moors
- grid.5596.f0000 0001 0668 7884Research Group of Quantitative Psychology and Individual Differences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium ,grid.5596.f0000 0001 0668 7884Center for Social and Cultural Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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19
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Rebar AL, Lally P, Verplanken B, Diefenbacher S, Kwasnicka D, Rhodes RE, Lanzini P, Koutoukidis DA, Venema TAG, Gardner B. Changes in virus-transmission habits during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-national, repeated measures study. Psychol Health 2022; 37:1626-1645. [PMID: 35899368 PMCID: PMC9615635 DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2022.2097682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The COVID-19 pandemic saw promotion of novel virus transmission-reduction behaviours, and discouragement of familiar transmission-conducive behaviours. Understanding changes in the automatic nature of such behaviours is important, because habitual behaviours may be more easily reactivated in future outbreaks and disrupting old habits may discontinue unwanted behaviours. DESIGN A repeated-measures, multi-national design tracked virus-transmission habits and behaviour fortnightly over six months (Apr-Sept 2020) among 517 participants (age M = 42 ± 16y, 79% female). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Within-participant habit trajectories across all timepoints, and engagement in transmission-reduction behaviours (handwashing when entering home; handwashing with soap for 20 seconds; physical distancing) and transmission-conducive behaviours (coughing/sneezing into hands; making physical contact) summed over the final two timepoints. RESULTS Three habit trajectory types were observed. Habits that remained strong ('stable strong habit') and habits that strengthened ('habit formation') were most common for transmission-reduction behaviours. Erosion of initially strong habits ('habit degradation') was most common for transmission-conducive behaviours. Regression analyses showed 'habit formation' and 'stable strong habit' trajectories were associated with greater behavioural engagement at later timepoints. CONCLUSION Participants typically maintained or formed transmission-reduction habits, which encouraged later performance, and degraded transmission-conducive habits, which decreased performance. Findings suggest COVID-19-preventive habits may be recoverable in future virus outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L. Rebar
- School of Health, Medical, and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Australia
| | - Phillippa Lally
- Research Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Svenne Diefenbacher
- Department of Social Psychology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Social Monitoring and Methodology, German Youth Institute, Munich, Germany
| | - Dominika Kwasnicka
- NHMRC CRE in Digital Technology to Transform Chronic Disease Outcomes, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Faculty of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warszawa, Poland
| | - Ryan E. Rhodes
- School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
| | - Pietro Lanzini
- Department of Management, Ca’ Foscari University, Venice, Italy
| | - Dimitrios A. Koutoukidis
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Tina A. G. Venema
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Benjamin Gardner
- Department of Psychology, King’s College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
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20
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Leeuwis N, van Bommel T, Alimardani M. A framework for application of consumer neuroscience in pro-environmental behavior change interventions. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:886600. [PMID: 36188183 PMCID: PMC9520489 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.886600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Most consumers are aware that climate change is a growing problem and admit that action is needed. However, research shows that consumers' behavior often does not conform to their value and orientations. This value-behavior gap is due to contextual factors such as price, product design, and social norms as well as individual factors such as personal and hedonic values, environmental beliefs, and the workload capacity an individual can handle. Because of this conflict of interest, consumers have a hard time identifying the true drivers of their behavior, as they are either unaware of or unwilling to acknowledge the processes at play. Therefore, consumer neuroscience methods might provide a valuable tool to uncover the implicit measurements of pro-environmental behavior (PEB). Several studies have already defined neurophysiological differences between green and non-green individuals; however, a behavior change intervention must be developed to motivate PEB among consumers. Motivating behavior with reward or punishment will most likely get users engaged in climate change action via brain structures related to the reward system, such as the amygdala, nucleus accumbens, and (pre)frontal cortex, where the reward information and subsequent affective responses are encoded. The intensity of the reward experience can be increased when the consumer is consciously considering the action to achieve it. This makes goal-directed behavior the potential aim of behavior change interventions. This article provides an extensive review of the neuroscientific evidence for consumer attitude, behavior, and decision-making processes in the light of sustainability incentives for behavior change interventions. Based on this review, we aim to unite the current theories and provide future research directions to exploit the power of affective conditioning and neuroscience methods for promoting PEB engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikki Leeuwis
- Department of Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands
- Unravel Research, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | | | - Maryam Alimardani
- Department of Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands
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21
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Rodger A, Papies EK. “I don't just drink water for the sake of it”: Understanding the influence of value, reward, self-identity and early life on water drinking behaviour. Food Qual Prefer 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2022.104576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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22
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Du Y, Krakauer JW, Haith AM. The relationship between habits and motor skills in humans. Trends Cogn Sci 2022; 26:371-387. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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23
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Eder AB, Dignath D. Associations do not energize behavior: on the forgotten legacy of Kurt Lewin. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2021; 86:2341-2351. [PMID: 34951661 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-021-01631-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Hundred years ago, Kurt Lewin published a series of articles in which he vehemently argued against the idea that associations between stimuli and responses motivate behavior. This article reviews his empirical work and theory and the cogency of Lewin's conclusion according to modern standards. We conclude that Lewin's criticism of the contiguity principle of associationism is still valid, and is now supported by a broad range of theories on learning, motivation, and action control. Implications for modern dual-system theory and modern theories on motivated action and (instructed) task sets are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas B Eder
- Department of Psychology, JMU Würzburg, Röntgenring 10, 97070, Würzburg, Germany.
| | - David Dignath
- Department of Psychology, University of Tübingen, Schleichstraße 4, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
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24
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Ghin F, Beste C, Stock AK. Neurobiological mechanisms of control in alcohol use disorder - moving towards mechanism-based non-invasive brain stimulation treatments. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 133:104508. [PMID: 34942268 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is characterized by excessive habitual drinking and loss of control over alcohol intake despite negative consequences. Both of these aspects foster uncontrolled drinking and high relapse rates in AUD patients. Yet, common interventions mostly focus on the phenomenological level, and prioritize the reduction of craving and withdrawal symptoms. Our review provides a mechanistic understanding of AUD and suggests alternative therapeutic approaches targeting the mechanisms underlying dysfunctional alcohol-related behaviours. Specifically, we explain how repeated drinking fosters the development of rigid drinking habits and is associated with diminished cognitive control. These behavioural and cognitive effects are then functionally related to the neurobiochemical effects of alcohol abuse. We further explain how alterations in fronto-striatal network activity may constitute the neurobiological correlates of these alcohol-related dysfunctions. Finally, we discuss limitations in current pharmacological AUD therapies and suggest non-invasive brain stimulation (like TMS and tDCS interventions) as a potential addition/alternative for modulating the activation of both cortical and subcortical areas to help re-establish the functional balance between controlled and automatic behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Ghin
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany; University Neuropsychology Center, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany; University Neuropsychology Center, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Stock
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany; University Neuropsychology Center, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany; Biopsychology, Faculty of Psychology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
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25
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Quantifying the instrumental and noninstrumental underpinnings of Pavlovian responding with the Price equation. Psychon Bull Rev 2021; 29:1295-1306. [PMID: 34918283 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-021-02047-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The Price equation is a mathematical expression of selectionist and non-selectionist pressures on biological, cultural, and behavioral change. We use it here to specify instrumental and noninstrumental behaviors as they arise within the context of the Pavlovian autoshaping procedure, for rats trained under reward certainty and reward uncertainty. The point of departure for this endeavor is that some portion of autoshaped behavior referred to as goal-tracking appears instrumental-a function of resource attainment (the individual approaches the location where the unconditioned stimulus is to be delivered). By contrast, some other portion of autoshaped behavior referred to as sign-tracking is noninstrumental-irrelevant to making contact with the to-be-delivered unconditioned stimulus. A Price equation model is proposed that unifies our understanding of Pavlovian autoshaping behavior by isolating operant and respondent influences on goal-tracking (instrumental) and sign-tracking (noninstrumental) behavior.
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26
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K Namboodiri VM, Stuber GD. The learning of prospective and retrospective cognitive maps within neural circuits. Neuron 2021; 109:3552-3575. [PMID: 34678148 PMCID: PMC8809184 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.09.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Brain circuits are thought to form a "cognitive map" to process and store statistical relationships in the environment. A cognitive map is commonly defined as a mental representation that describes environmental states (i.e., variables or events) and the relationship between these states. This process is commonly conceptualized as a prospective process, as it is based on the relationships between states in chronological order (e.g., does reward follow a given state?). In this perspective, we expand this concept on the basis of recent findings to postulate that in addition to a prospective map, the brain forms and uses a retrospective cognitive map (e.g., does a given state precede reward?). In doing so, we demonstrate that many neural signals and behaviors (e.g., habits) that seem inflexible and non-cognitive can result from retrospective cognitive maps. Together, we present a significant conceptual reframing of the neurobiological study of associative learning, memory, and decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay Mohan K Namboodiri
- Department of Neurology, Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
| | - Garret D Stuber
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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27
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Enhancing Consumer Experience through Development of Implicit Attitudes Using Food Delivery Applications. JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL AND APPLIED ELECTRONIC COMMERCE RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/jtaer16070157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In the context created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the aim of the research in this article is to highlight how the consumer experience is constructed, starting from the consumer’s attitudes—which we consider to be implicitly positive—and from the formation of habits of using mobile applications for food supply. Data were collected from 610 people—users of applications for food delivery in urban areas—in the spring of 2021, using a quantitative type of research in the form of a field survey based on questionnaire completion; for the model validation, we used confirmatory factor analysis. The online questionnaire link was sent out in April 2021, followed by the consumers’ completion of the questionnaire in the same month. The proposed theoretical model highlights the influence of variables that are specific for technology acceptance models on the perceived utility and development of implicit attitudes based on it, as well as the habits of using the application. The results of the research validate the proposed model, showing that attitudes in the form of an implicit-type attitudes developed in time are influencing habits and aid the development of a certain usage behavior depicted by a consumption experience that has specific content. Our paper contributes to a better understanding of the consumer experience development process within the context of technology acceptance in the field of food delivery services, emphasizing the importance of satisfying hedonic motivations as an integral part of the compensatory mechanisms determined by the effects of the pandemic.
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28
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Wood W, Mazar A, Neal DT. Habits and Goals in Human Behavior: Separate but Interacting Systems. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2021; 17:590-605. [PMID: 34283681 DOI: 10.1177/1745691621994226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
People automatically repeat behaviors that were frequently rewarded in the past in a given context. Such repetition is commonly attributed to habit, or associations in memory between a context and a response. Once habits form, contexts directly activate the response in mind. An opposing view is that habitual behaviors depend on goals. However, we show that this view is challenged by the goal independence of habits across the fields of social and health psychology, behavioral neuroscience, animal learning, and computational modeling. It also is challenged by direct tests revealing that habits do not depend on implicit goals. Furthermore, we show that two features of habit memory-rapid activation of specific responses and resistance to change-explain the different conditions under which people act on habit versus persuing goals. Finally, we tested these features with a novel secondary analysis of action-slip data. We found that habitual responses are activated regardless of goals, but they can be performed in concert with goal pursuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy Wood
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California.,Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California
| | - Asaf Mazar
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California
| | - David T Neal
- Catalyst Behavioral Sciences, Coral Gables, Florida.,Center for Advanced Hindsight, Duke University
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29
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Yanaoka K, Saito S. The Development of Learning, Performing, and Controlling Repeated Sequential Actions in Young Children. Top Cogn Sci 2021; 14:241-257. [PMID: 34125991 DOI: 10.1111/tops.12557] [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: 08/22/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Our daily lives are composed of several sequential actions that we perform routinely, such as making breakfast, taking a train, and changing clothes. Previous research has demonstrated that a routine system plays a role in performing and controlling repeated sequential actions in familiar situations, and a top-down control system involves the control of the routine system in novel situations. Specifically, most developmental studies have focused on the top-down control system (e.g., executive functions) as a factor enabling the control of goal-directed actions in novel situations. Yet, it has not been thoroughly examined how young children learn, perform, and control repeated sequential actions in familiar contexts. In this review, based on recent computational accounts for adults, we highlight two critical aspects of the routine system from a developmental perspective: (1) automatic flexible changes of contextual representations, which enables humans to select context-dependent actions appropriately; and (2) detection of deviant situations, which signals the need for control to avoid errors. In addition, we propose the developmental mechanism underlying the routine system and its potential driving factors such as statistical regularities and executive functions. Finally, we suggest that an investigation into the interplay between routine and executive functions can form foundations for understanding learning, performing, and controlling repeated sequential actions in young children and discuss future directions in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaichi Yanaoka
- Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo.,Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
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Costantini G, Di Sarno M, Preti E, Richetin J, Perugini M. Would You Rather Be Safe or Free? Motivational and Behavioral Aspects in COVID-19 Mitigation. Front Psychol 2021; 12:635406. [PMID: 34122227 PMCID: PMC8195459 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.635406] [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: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
This work investigates the relationship between goals and mitigation behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. Study 1 (pilot) identified goals ascribed to following and violating mitigation-related indications. Study 2 investigated the structure of and link between COVID-related goals and behaviors in a large community sample (N = 995, 301 men). Our results showed substantial relationships between goals and behaviors. Goals were best described by a bi-dimensional structure (being safe vs. being free), whereas behaviors clustered into a three-component structure (hygiene, distancing, going out). Hierarchical multiple regressions demonstrated the incremental validity of goals in the prediction of behaviors. Network analysis suggested that goals imbued with social content were more directly related to both risky and preventive behaviors. Motivational aspects emerged as important contributors to the organization of behaviors in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marco Di Sarno
- Department of Psychology, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Emanuele Preti
- Department of Psychology, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- Personality Disorders Lab, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Marco Perugini
- Department of Psychology, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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Popławska A, Szumowska E, Kuś J. Why Do We Need Media Multitasking? A Self-Regulatory Perspective. Front Psychol 2021; 12:624649. [PMID: 33643153 PMCID: PMC7905209 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.624649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In the digital world of today, multitasking with media is inevitable. Research shows, for instance, that American youths spend on average 7.5 h every day with media, and 29% of that time is spent processing different forms of media simultaneously (Uncapher et al., 2017). Despite numerous studies, however, there is no consensus on whether media multitasking is effective or not. In the current paper, we review existing literature and propose that in order to ascertain whether media multitasking is effective, it is important to determine (1) which goal/s are used as a reference point (e.g., acquiring new knowledge, obtaining the highest number of points in a task, being active on social media); (2) whether a person's intentions and subjective feelings or objective performance are considered (e.g., simultaneous media use might feel productive, yet objective performance might deteriorate); and finally (3) whether the short- or long-term consequences of media multitasking are considered (e.g., media multitasking might help attain one's present goals yet be conducive to a cognitive strategy that leads to lesser attentional shielding of goals). Depending on these differentiations, media multitasking can be seen as both a strategic behavior undertaken to accomplish one's goals and as a self-regulatory failure. The article integrates various findings from the areas of cognitive psychology, psychology of motivation, and human-computer interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Popławska
- Faculty of Psychology in Sopot, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Sopot, Poland
| | - Ewa Szumowska
- Institute of Psychology, Department of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Jakub Kuś
- Faculty of Psychology in Wrocław, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Wrocław, Poland
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Vandaele Y, Ahmed SH. Habit, choice, and addiction. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:689-698. [PMID: 33168946 PMCID: PMC8027414 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00899-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Addiction was suggested to emerge from the progressive dominance of habits over goal-directed behaviors. However, it is generally assumed that habits do not persist in choice settings. Therefore, it is unclear how drug habits may persist in real-world scenarios where this factor predominates. Here, we discuss the poor translational validity of the habit construct, which impedes our ability to determine its role in addiction. New evidence of habitual behavior in a drug choice setting are then described and discussed. Interestingly, habitual preference did not promote drug choice but instead favored abstinence. Here, we propose several clues to reconcile these unexpected results with the habit theory of addiction, and we highlight the need in experimental research to face the complexity of drug addicts' decision-making environments by investigating drug habits in the context of choice and in the presence of cues. On a theoretical level, we need to consider more complex frameworks, taking into account continuous interactions between goal-directed and habitual systems, and alternative decision-making models more representative of real-world conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Vandaele
- Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - S H Ahmed
- Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, CNRS, Bordeaux, France
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Wiers RW, Verschure P. Curing the broken brain model of addiction: Neurorehabilitation from a systems perspective. Addict Behav 2021; 112:106602. [PMID: 32889442 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The dominant biomedical perspective on addictions has been that they are chronic brain diseases. While we acknowledge that the brains of people with addictions differ from those without, we argue that the "broken brain" model of addiction has important limitations. We propose that a systems-level perspective more effectively captures the integrated architecture of the embodied and situated human mind and brain in relation to the development of addictions. This more dynamic conceptualization places addiction in the broader context of the addicted brain that drives behavior, where the addicted brain is the substrate of the addicted mind, that in turn is situated in a physical and socio-cultural environment. From this perspective, neurorehabilitation should shift from a "broken-brain" to a systems theoretical framework, which includes high-level concepts related to the physical and social environment, motivation, self-image, and the meaning of alternative activities, which in turn will dynamically influence subsequent brain adaptations. We call this integrated approach system-oriented neurorehabilitation. We illustrate our proposal by showing the link between addiction and the architecture of the embodied brain, including a systems-level perspective on classical conditioning, which has been successfully translated into neurorehabilitation. Central to this example is the notion that the human brain makes predictions on future states as well as expected (or counterfactual) errors, in the context of its goals. We advocate system-oriented neurorehabilitation of addiction where the patients' goals are central in targeted, personalized assessment and intervention.
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Wiers RW, Van Dessel P, Köpetz C. ABC Training: A New Theory-Based Form of Cognitive-Bias Modification to Foster Automatization of Alternative Choices in the Treatment of Addiction and Related Disorders. CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1177/0963721420949500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Recent years have seen a surge in the popularity of interventions that target common distortions in thinking (cognitive-bias modification, or CBM). Although there is evidence of their effectiveness as add-ons to regular treatment in alcohol addiction, the effects are typically small, and recent findings from lab studies have called into question the dominant theoretical underpinnings of CBM. We provide a novel theoretical approach in terms of automatic inferences that integrates previous findings and suggests ways to improve CBM into ABC training. In ABC training, patients are trained in the context of personally relevant antecedents (A) to make behavioral choices (B) that accord with patients’ health goals in light of their consequences (C). We discuss preliminary evidence suggesting that ABC training might be a useful tool in the treatment of addictions and related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reinout W. Wiers
- Developmental Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam
- Addiction Development and Psychopathology (ADAPT) Lab, University of Amsterdam
- Centre for Urban Mental Health, University of Amsterdam
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