Abstract
Goal-directed behavior is influenced by environmental cues: in particular, cues associated with a reward can bias action choice toward actions directed to that same reward. This effect is studied experimentally as specific Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (specific PIT). We have investigated the hypothesis that cues associated to an outcome elicit specific PIT by rising the estimates of reward probability of actions associated to that same outcome. In other words, cues reduce the uncertainty on the efficacy of instrumental actions. We used a human PIT experimental paradigm to test the effects of two different instrumental contingencies: one group of participants had a 33% chance of being rewarded for each button press, while another had a 100% chance. The group trained with 33% reward probability showed a stronger PIT effect than the 100% group, in line with the hypothesis that Pavlovian cues linked to an outcome work by reducing the uncertainty of receiving it. The 100% group also showed a significant specific PIT effect, highlighting additional factors that could contribute to specific PIT beyond the instrumental training contingency. We hypothesize that the uncertainty about reward delivery due to testing in extinction might be one of these factors. These results add knowledge on how goal-directed behavior is influenced by the presence of environmental cues associated with a reward: such influence depends on the probability that we have to reach a reward, namely when there is less chance of getting a reward we are more influenced by cues associated with it, and vice versa.
Highlights
It has long been known that cues associated with a rewarding outcome can elicit and intensify actions directed to obtain that same outcome
These studies have found that schedules with lower baseline rates support stronger PIT (Meltzer and Hamm, 1974b, 1978; Edgar et al, 1981), which is compatible with the observation that PIT is more observed after a period of extinction (Dickinson et al, 2000)
Holland (2004) found that longer training leads to the expression of stronger PIT and Wiltgen et al (2012) showed that training with an interval schedule expressed more PIT compared to a ratio-schedule with a similar baseline rate
Summary
It has long been known that cues associated with a rewarding outcome can elicit and intensify actions directed to obtain that same outcome. This effect can be studied experimentally in a paradigm called specific Pavlovian instrumental transfer (specific PIT). In a typical specific PIT experiment, a participant is first trained to associate two cues with two different outcomes: for example, to associate two different images (Pavlovian conditioned stimulus, CS) each with the delivery of a different reward (e.g., chocolate and popcorns). In specific PIT a Pavlovian cue associated with food (or another reward) selectively increases instrumental actions directed to the same food This occurs despite the fact that no explicit training of the instrumental actions in the presence of Pavlovian cues is performed
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