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ERIC Number: EJ1240934
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Feb
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0278-7393
EISSN: N/A
Prospect of Performance-Contingent Reward Distorts the Action Relevance of Predictive Context Information
Hefer, Carmen; Dreisbach, Gesine
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, v46 n2 p380-399 Feb 2020
There is much evidence showing that the prospect of performance-contingent reward increases the usage of cuing information and cognitive stability. In a recent study, we showed that participants under reward conditions even continued using cues even when they were no longer predictive of the required response rule, even at the expense of higher errors feedback. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the mechanism underlying this maladaptive perseveration. One possible mechanism was that participants under reward conditions use cue-related stimulus frequencies even when they are not indicative of response rule frequencies. In a series of 3 experiments, using modified versions of the classical AX-continuous performance task, this hypothesis was confirmed. Taken together, the findings have important implications, as they show that the prospect of performance-contingent reward encourages the selective usage of any information that might be relevant for preparatory behavior. And this reward-induced cue usage persists until the cuing information loses any predictive information.
American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Germany
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A