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01-01-2009 | Original Article

Does contingency awareness mediate the influence of emotional learning on the cueing of visual attention?

Auteurs: An K. Raes, Rudi De Raedt, Wim Fias, Ernst H. W. Koster, Stefaan Van Damme

Gepubliceerd in: Psychological Research | Uitgave 1/2009

Abstract

Previous research has indicated that conditioning depends on contingency awareness (CA). However, we argue that these studies have examined this issue under methodological conditions that might be insensitive to associative learning without CA. In the present study we examined the effect of an experimental manipulation of CA on attentive processing of classically conditioned stimuli, which is sensitive to associative learning with and without CA. We found that aversive conditioning with additional contingency instructions modulated visual attention, in the sense that the conditioned cues captured and held attention more strongly than the non-conditioned cues. Surprisingly, conditioning under conditions of restricted CA yielded a response pattern that was different from that under full CA. These findings suggest that conditioning with full and restricted CA can lead to qualitatively different effects on attention.

vorige artikel Automatic mode of acquisition of spatial sequences in a serial reaction time paradigm

volgende artikel Perceptual identification across the life span: a dissociation of early gains and late losses

The participants from the uninstructed group who had CA display the same response pattern as the participants from the instructed group who had CA. The CVI for the CS+ (M = 76, SD = 14) was significantly larger than the CVI for the CS− (M = 45, SD = 35), t(5) = 2.88, p < 0.05. The engagement index was not significant, t < 1. However, RT on invalid CS+ trials (M = 365, SD = 44) were significantly slower than on invalid CS− trials (M = 336, SD = 33), t(5) = 3.15, p < 0.05, which indicates disengagement.

When the analyses are repeated in a balanced design after taking a random sample of 12 participants in the CA group, the results are very similar to the results found with 16 participants in the CA group. The 2 × 2 × 2 ANOVA also reveals a significant CA × Signal × Cueing interactions, F(1, 22) = 8.54, p < 0.01. In the CA group, we find a significant difference between the CS+ and CS− CVI, t(11) = 2.63, p < 0.05, as well as significant disengagement, t(11) = 2.72, p < 0.05. The engagement index is not significant, t < 1.

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Titel: Does contingency awareness mediate the influence of emotional learning on the cueing of visual attention?
Auteurs: An K. Raes
Rudi De Raedt
Wim Fias
Ernst H. W. Koster
Stefaan Van Damme
Publicatiedatum: 01-01-2009
Uitgeverij: Springer-Verlag
Gepubliceerd in: Psychological Research / Uitgave 1/2009
Print ISSN: 0340-0727
Elektronisch ISSN: 1430-2772
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-008-0141-y

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