The motivation to strive for and consume primary rewards such as palatable food is bound by internal satiation and devaluation mechanisms, yet secondary rewards such as money may not be bound by these regulatory mechanisms. The present study therefore aimed at determining diverging devaluation trajectories for primary (chocolate milk) and secondary (money) reinforcers on the behavioral and neural level. Satiation procedures combined with a choice (Experiment 1) and an incentive delay (Experiment 2) paradigm consistently revealed decreased hedonic value for the primary reward as reflected by decreasing hedonic evaluation and choice preference, while hedonic value and preferences for the secondary reward increased. Concomitantly acquired functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) data during the incentive delay paradigm revealed that increasing value of the secondary reward was accompanied by increasing anticipatory activation in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex, while during the consummatory phase the secondary reinforcer associated with higher medial orbitofrontal activity irrespective of devaluation stage. Overall, the findings suggest that -in contrast to primary reinforcers -secondary reinforcers can acquire progressively enhanced incentive motivation with repeated receipt, suggesting a mechanism which could promote escalating striving to obtain secondary rewards..

The University of Glasgow-University of Electronic S cience and Technology of China joint education programme enrolled its first cohort of students in Fall 2013. Continual assessment of the programme was initiated shortly thereafter to monitor student achievement in the programme, to evaluate how well the aims of the programme are being met, and to determine areas where improvements can be made. S everal issues were identified during the review as well as in informal conversations with course instructors, administrative support staff, and students. To quantify the impact of these issues, a study to examine the cultural attitudes, English language communication aptitude, problem-solving skills, learning style, and teacher-student relationship of the first cohort during their first year in its undergraduate programme in electronics and electrical engineering has been proposed. The study will adopt an interpretive approach, using a longitudinal multivariate study design, to generate quantified descriptions of how each issue influences student behavior and success in the programme. A follow-on study on the course instructors' cultural attitudes, pedagogical approaches, and willingness to adapt is planned. The initial findings from the programme assessment and the proposed studies will be presented at the

The motivation to strive for and consume primary rewards such as palatable food is bound by internal satiation and devaluation mechanisms, yet secondary rewards such as money may not be bound by these regulatory mechanisms. The present study therefore aimed at determining diverging devaluation trajectories for primary (chocolate milk) and secondary (money) reinforcers on the behavioral and neural level. Satiation procedures combined with a choice (Experiment 1) and an incentive delay (Experiment 2) paradigm consistently revealed decreased hedonic value for the primary reward as reflected by decreasing hedonic evaluation and choice preference, while hedonic value and preferences for the secondary reward increased. Concomitantly acquired functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) data during the incentive delay paradigm revealed that increasing value of the secondary reward was accompanied by increasing anticipatory activation in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex, while during the consummatory phase the secondary reinforcer associated with higher medial orbitofrontal activity irrespective of devaluation stage. Overall, the findings suggest that – in contrast to primary reinforcers - secondary reinforcers can acquire progressively enhanced incentive motivation with repeated receipt, suggesting a mechanism which could promote escalating striving to obtain secondary rewards.