Costs or benefits of emotional conditioning on cognitive processing?
We report on two experiments using a transfer-of-control procedure in evaluating costs or benefits of emotionally relevant stimuli on the processing of a cognitive task. In differential conditioning the impact of Pavlovian conditioning usually is examined by contrasting instrumental responses in the presence of an excitatory conditioned stimulus (CS+) and an inhibitory conditioned stimulus (CS-). We expanded this comparison by introducing a neutral third condition. This additional neutral condition served as a within subject control for evaluating whether the CS+ increased responding and/or the CS- decreased responding. Both experiments yielded the same result; the CS- slowed down cognitive processing while the CS+ had no impact. Thus, the proposed transfer-of-control procedure may serve as a reliable and valid research tool in the evaluation of motivation and emotion in humans.
Wolter
J
J
Department of Psychology, Philipps-University Marburg, Gutenbergstr. 18, D-35032, Marburg, Germany.
Lachnit
H
H
D000328:Adult; D001245:Association Learning; D003214:Conditioning, Classical; D003216:Conditioning, Operant; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D010470:Perceptual Masking; D011930:Reaction Time; D014163:Transfer, Psychology