Reward Counteracts Conflict Adaptation

Abstract

The conflict-adaptation effect has been observed in several executive-control tasks and is thought to reflect an increase in control, driven by experienced conflict. We hypothesized that if this adaptation originates from the aversive quality of conflict, it would be canceled out by a positive, rewarding event. Subjects performed an arrow flanker task with monetary gain or loss as arbitrary feedback between trials. As predicted, we found a reduction in conflict adaptation for trials in which conflict was followed by monetary gain. The strength of this gain-induced modulation was found to depend on subjects' motivation to pursue reward, as measured by the Behavioral Activation System Drive scale. Our findings demonstrate for the first time that the conflict-adaptation effect can be strongly reduced by reward contexts, suggesting that reward and conflict can compensate for each other's effects, probably via changes in dopamine levels.

Mood states influence cognitive control: the case of conflict adaptation

“…For instance, Padmala, Bauer, and Pessoa (2011) found a conflict adaptation effect when the picture between the previous and current trial was of neutral valence, but not when it was of negative valence. On the other hand, van Steenbergen, Band, and Hommel (2009) found the opposite effect, with larger conflict adaptation after a loss cue (i.e., negative affective stimulus) than after a gain cue (i.e., positive affective stimulus).…”

Reward enhances backward inhibition in task switching

“…Specifically, it remains a question how reward would affect inhibitory processes underlying task switching, given the fact that reward has been demonstrated recently to exhibit not only enhancing but also disrupting effects on behaviour when conflict information exists. For instance, using the flanker task, van Steenbergen, Band, and Hommel (2009) found that reward counteracts conflict-adaptation effects, thus disrupting adjustments in cognitive control. In another study, Krebs, Boehler, and Woldorff (2010) adopted the Stroop task and observed that, although reward attenuates performance decrements induced by incongruent information in colour and word dimensions, it also impedes performance when the reward-related information appeared in task-irrelevant word dimension.…”

False external feedback modulates posterror slowing and the f-P300: implications for theories of posterror adjustment

“…Thus, the present results may be explained by a "malfunctioning" adaptive system. Additionally, control theories have recently been extended to suggest that control efforts are motivated by the occurrence of aversive events (Botvinick, 2007;van Steenbergen, Band, & Hommel, 2009). In the present study, affectively positive CORRECT feedback perhaps reduced the averseness of error evaluations, subsequently reducing PES.…”