title: Learned predictiveness influences automatic evaluations in human contingency learning.
abstract: Experiments used an affective priming procedure to investigate whether evaluative conditioning in humans is subject to bias as a consequence of differences in the learned predictiveness of the cues involved. Experiment 1, using brief prime presentation, demonstrated stronger affective priming for cues that had been predictive of a neutral attribute prior to evaluative conditioning than for those that had been nonpredictive. Experiment 2, using longer prime presentation, found a reversed priming effect for previously predictive cues but not for previously nonpredictive cues. The implication is that the effect observed with brief prime presentation reflects the operation of fast-acting, automatic evaluation mechanisms and hence that evaluative conditioning can be biased by our previous learning about the predictiveness of cues.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK. m.lepelley@unsw.edu.au
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Le Pelley
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Calvini
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Spears
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention; D001331:Automation; D015982:Bias; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011287:Prejudice; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities