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Knowledge about the predictive value of reward conditioned stimuli modulates their interference with cognitive processes

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journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-12, 09:00 authored by Mateo Leganes Fonteneau, Kyriaki Nikolaou, Ryan ScottRyan Scott, Dora Duka
Stimuli conditioned with a substance can generate drug approach behaviours due to their acquired motivational properties. According to implicit theories of addiction these stimuli can decrease cognitive control automatically. The present study (n=49) examined whether reward-associated stimuli can interfere with cognitive processes in the absence of knowledge about stimulus-outcome contingencies. Abstract conditioned stimuli (CS) were paired with High (HR) or Low (LR) probabilities of monetary reward using a Pavlovian learning task. Participants were categorised as Aware or Unaware of contingencies using a Bayesian analysis. CS were then used as task irrelevant distractors in modified Flanker and N-back tasks. Results show HR CS can generate increased interference in the Flanker task for participants Unaware of contingencies, contributing further evidence for the existence of implicit Pavlovian conditioning. For the N-back task, working memory performance was affected by HR CS, albeit only for Aware participants. These results suggest that CS can interfere implicitly with cognitive processes in a similar way to drug-related stimuli. Such an effect could occur in a stimulus-driven fashion, devoid of top-down goal directedness. These findings have implications for the conceptualisation and study of implicit processes in addiction and highlights the necessity to reconsider the measurement of such phenomena.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Learning and Memory

ISSN

1072-0502

Publisher

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press

Issue

March

Volume

26

Page range

66-76

Department affiliated with

  • Psychology Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2019-02-08

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2020-02-15

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2019-02-07

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