Joaquín Morís

Goal‐directed EEG activity evoked by discriminative stimuli in reinforcement learning

Publisher: Wiley

Date: 06-08-2014

DOI: 10.1111/PSYP.12302

Abstract: In reinforcement learning (RL), discriminative stimuli (S) allow agents to anticipate the value of a future outcome, and the response that will produce that outcome. We examined this processing by recording EEG locked to S during RL. Incentive value of outcomes and predictive value of S were manipulated, allowing us to discriminate between outcome-related and response-related activity. S predicting the correct response differed from nonpredictive S in the P2. S paired with high-value outcomes differed from those paired with low-value outcomes in a frontocentral positivity and in the P3b. A slow negativity then distinguished between predictive and nonpredictive S. These results suggest that, first, attention prioritizes detection of informative S. Activation of mental representations of these informative S then retrieves representations of outcomes, which in turn retrieve representations of responses that previously produced those outcomes.

Slower reacquisition after partial extinction in human contingency learning.

Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)

Date: 2017

DOI: 10.1037/XLM0000282

Abstract: Extinction is a very relevant learning phenomenon from a theoretical and applied point of view. One of its most relevant features is that relapse phenomena often take place once the extinction training has been completed. Accordingly, as extinction-based therapies constitute the most widespread empirically validated treatment of anxiety disorders, one of their most important limitations is this potential relapse. We provide the first demonstration of relapse reduction in human contingency learning using mild aversive stimuli. This effect was found after partial extinction (i.e., reinforced trials were occasionally experienced during extinction, Experiment 1) and progressive extinction treatments (Experiment 3), and it was not only because of differences in uncertainty levels between the partial and a standard extinction group (Experiment 2). The theoretical explanation of these results, the potential uses of this strategy in applied situations, and its current limitations are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

University Of Granada

Location: Spain

View Organisation

Universidad De Oviedo

Location: Spain

View Organisation

Universitat De Barcelona

Location: Spain

View Organisation

Universidad De Malaga

Location: Spain

View Organisation

Universidad De Málaga - Campus De Teatinos

Location: Spain

View Organisation