Balancing Between Goal-Directed and Habitual Responding Following Acute Stress

Abstract

Abstract. Instrumental learning is regulated by two memory systems: a relatively rigid but efficient habit system and a flexible but resource-demanding goal-directed system. Previous work has demonstrated that exposure to acute stress may shift the balance between these systems toward the habitual system. In the current study, we used a 2-day outcome devaluation paradigm with a 75% reward contingency rate and altered food reward categories to replicate and extend our previous findings. Participants learned neutral stimulus–response–reward associations on the first day. On the second day, rewards were devalued by eating to satiety. Subsequently, acute stress was induced in half of the participants using the Maastricht Acute Stress Test, while the other half engaged in a nonstressful control task. Finally, relative goal-directed versus habitual behavior was evaluated in a slips-of-action phase, where more slips-of-action indicate a shift toward the habitual system. Results showed that participants successfully acquired the stimulus–response–reward associations, that devaluation was effective, and that stressed participants displayed significant increases in cortisol and blood pressure. Stress led participants to commit more slips-of-action compared with nonstressed controls. The current study extends previous work, showing that the employed paradigm and outcome devaluation procedure are boundary conditions to the stress-induced shift in instrumental responding.

Volume and Connectivity Differences in Brain Networks Associated with Cognitive Constructs of Binge Eating

“…Specifically, this is likely associated with disrupted R-O learning habitual control, which has been shown in humans with BED directly ( Voon et al, 2015 ). This fits well with research showing that after acute stress, healthy participants show a shift from goal-directed to habitual responding in instrumental learning tasks ( Schwabe and Wolf, 2009 ; Wirz et al, 2018 ; Quaedflieg et al, 2019 ; Smeets et al, 2019 ; Hartogsveld et al, 2020 ). Stress could therefore make BN/BED subjects more likely to rely on S-R associations, while impairing reward values and reducing cognitive control, connecting the three cognitive constructs.…”

“…Heightened negative affect is typically the result of stress (e.g. Wemm and Wulfert, 2017;Mendonça-de-Souza et al, 2007), alters this balance in instrumental learning tasks, rendering behavior more habitual (Schwabe et al, 2012;Wolf, 2010, 2009;Wirz et al, 2018;Smeets et al, 2019;Hartogsveld et al, 2020;Quaedflieg et al, 2019).…”

“…Negative affect refers to increased sensitivity to negative stimuli and increased likelihood to experience negative emotions ( Vainik et al, 2019 ) and is also highly related to the balance between habitual and goal-directed behavior. Heightened negative affect is typically the result of stress ( Mendonça-de-Souza et al, 2007 ; Wemm and Wulfert, 2017 ), alters this balance in instrumental learning tasks, rendering behavior more habitual ( Schwabe and Wolf, 2009 , 2010 ; Schwabe et al, 2012 ; Wirz et al, 2018 ; Quaedflieg et al, 2019 ; Smeets et al, 2019 ; Hartogsveld et al, 2020 ). Negative affect and stress are also closely related to the concept of “comfort eating,” the idea that some people have an increased tendency to consume food when stressed, to relieve stress and improve affect ( Gibson, 2012 ).…”

Determining the effects of training duration on the behavioral expression of habitual control in humans: a multi-laboratory investigation

“…More precisely, those participants who were low in affective stress appeared to be devaluation sensitive after shorter training, while after longer training they appeared to transition to habitual behavior. While we emphasize the exploratory nature of these findings, we note that they resonate with an existing literature demonstrating a key moderating role for anxiety and stress on the behavioral expression of habits in both humans and rodents (Dias-Ferreira et al 2009;Hartogsveld et al 2020;Otto et al 2013;Packard, 1999;Quaedflieg et al 2019;Schwabe and Wolf 2009;Schwabe and Wolf 2010;Schwabe et al 2011;Soares et al 2012).…”

Dopaminergic and noradrenergic modulation of stress-induced alterations in brain activation associated with goal-directed behaviour

“…Here, we aimed to unravel the functional role of catecholamines in the effect of acute stress on goal-directed behaviour and associated brain activation. One hundred healthy participants underwent a stress-induction protocol, or a control procedure (Maastricht acute stress test (MAST); Smeets et al, 2012 ), and received oral methylphenidate (MPH) to increase synaptic catecholamine levels, or placebo (PLC), after which we assessed goal-directed behaviour and associated brain activation using a previously validated instrumental learning paradigm in combination with outcome devaluation ( Hartogsveld et al, 2020 ). Based on previous work ( Fournier et al, 2017 ; Hartogsveld et al, 2020 ; Schwabe and Wolf, 2010 ; Smeets et al, 2019 ), we expected that acute stress would reduce goal-directed behaviour, and that this would be reflected in the corresponding neural activation (e.g.…”