Maintained goal-directed control with overtraining on ratio schedules

Garr, Eric; Padovan‐Hernandez, Yasmin; Janak, Patricia H.; Delamater, Andrew R.

doi:10.1101/lm.053472.121

Cited by 17 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…However, as we have shown, overtraining may in fact not install stimulus-driven processes but instead strong goal-directed processes. This is in line with recent work, which has shown that overtraining leads to strong goal-directed processes in rodents (Garr et al, 2021). Moreover, strong goal-directed processes have also been invoked to explain addictive behaviors (Hogarth, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

A goal-directed account of action slips: The reliance on old contingencies.

Buabang¹,

Köster²,

Boddez³

et al. 2023

Journal of Experimental Psychology: General

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People often keep engaging in behaviors that used to be successful in the past but which are knowingly no longer effective in the current situation, so-called “action slips.” Such action slips are often explained with stimulus-driven processes in which behavior is caused by a stimulus-response association and without information about the outcome of the behavior. This process is contrasted with a goal-directed process in which behavior is selected because it is expected to lead to a desired outcome. Failing to act in line with changes in the outcome is taken as evidence for stimulus-driven processes. Stimulus-driven processes are assumed to get installed after overtraining and to be deployed under poor operating conditions. In line with this, previous research has found that action slips are more likely to occur after extensive training and when under time pressure. We propose an alternative goal-directed explanation according to which action slips are caused by a goal-directed process that relies on old, no longer accurate, outcome information. In the current study, participants learned four stimulus–response–outcome contingencies during a single (i.e., moderate training) or a 4-day training schedule (i.e., extensive training). Afterward, two contingencies were reversed and performance was assessed under time pressure. Results show that after extensive training, participants not only committed more action slips but also reported more old response–outcome contingencies in line with these action slips. This is consistent with the goal-directed explanation that action slips result from a reliance on old, no longer accurate outcome information.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

A goal-directed account of action slips: The reliance on old contingencies.

Buabang¹,

Köster²,

Boddez³

et al. 2023

Journal of Experimental Psychology: General

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Indeed, some studies found that sensitivity to outcome devaluation depends on the amount of training (Adams, 1982;Hardwick et al, 2019;Tricomi et al, 2009), which has been taken as evidence for the idea that overtraining of operant conditioning installs habitual processes. Note, however, that other studies found that behavior was still sensitive after overtraining, thereby providing evidence for goal-directed processes even after overtraining (de Wit et al, 2018;Garr et al, 2021;LaFlamme et al, 2022;Pool et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

The role of goal-directed and habitual processes in food consumption under stress after outcome devaluation with taste aversion.

Buabang

Boddez²,

Wolf³

et al. 2023

Behavioral Neuroscience

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People are more likely to engage in various suboptimal behaviors such as overeating, addictive behaviors, and short-sighted financial decision-making when they are under stress. Traditional dual-process models propose that stress can impair the ability to engage in goal-directed behavior so that people have to rely on habitual behavior. Support for this idea comes from a study by Schwabe and Wolf (2010), in which stressed participants continued to perform a learned instrumental behavior leading to a liquid after the liquid was devalued with a satiation procedure. Based on these findings, suboptimal behavior under stress is often seen as habitual. In the present study, we conducted a conceptual replication of the study by Schwabe and Wolf (2010). Instead of using a satiation procedure to achieve the outcome devaluation, we devalued outcomes through taste aversion. We did not replicate the pattern of findings by Schwabe and Wolf (2010). Our results indicate instead that stressed participants were sensitive to outcome values when the outcomes became truly aversive and hence that their behavior was goal-directed. This suggests either that (a) habitual processes are subject to boundary conditions or (b) the processes responsible for the findings of Schwabe and Wolf (2010) were never habitual to begin with. This may have far-reaching implications for explaining suboptimal behavior under stress in general.

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“…Note, however, that other studies found that behavior was still sensitive after overtraining, thereby providing evidence for goal-directed processes even after overtraining (de Wit et al, 2018;Garr et al, 2021;LaFlamme et al, 2022;Pool et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

The Role of Goal-Directed and Habitual Processes in Food Consumption Under Stress After Outcome Devaluation with Taste Aversion

Buabang

Boddez²,

Wolf³

et al. 2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

People are more likely to engage in various suboptimal behaviors such as overeating, addictive behaviors, and short-sighted financial decision making when they are under stress. Traditional dual-process models propose that stress can impair the ability to engage in goal- directed behavior so that people have to rely on habitual behavior. Support for this idea comes from a study by Schwabe and Wolf (2010), in which stressed participants continued to perform a learned instrumental behavior leading to a liquid after the liquid was devalued with a satiation procedure. Based on these findings, suboptimal behavior under stress is often seen as habitual. In the current study, we conducted a conceptual replication of the study by Schwabe and Wolf (2010). Instead of using a satiation procedure to achieve the outcome devaluation, we devalued outcomes through taste aversion. We did not replicate the pattern of findings by Schwabe and Wolf (2010). Our results indicate instead that stressed participants were sensitive to outcome values when the outcomes became truly aversive and hence that their behavior was goal-directed. This suggests either that (a) habitual processes are subject to boundary conditions or (b) the processes responsible for the findings of Schwabe and Wolf (2010) were never habitual to begin with. This may have far-reaching implications for explaining suboptimal behavior under stress in general.

show abstract

Maintained goal-directed control with overtraining on ratio schedules

Cited by 17 publications

References 32 publications

A goal-directed account of action slips: The reliance on old contingencies.

A goal-directed account of action slips: The reliance on old contingencies.

The role of goal-directed and habitual processes in food consumption under stress after outcome devaluation with taste aversion.

The Role of Goal-Directed and Habitual Processes in Food Consumption Under Stress After Outcome Devaluation with Taste Aversion

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