The three principles of action: a Pavlovian-instrumental transfer hypothesis
Pavlovian conditioned stimuli can influence instrumental responding, an effect called Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT).During the last decade, PIT has been subdivided into two types: specific PIT and general PIT, each having its own neural substrates.Specific PIT happens when a conditioned stim...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2013-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00153/full |
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| author | Emilio eCartoni Stefano ePuglisi-Allegra Stefano ePuglisi-Allegra Gianluca eBaldassarre |
| author_facet | Emilio eCartoni Stefano ePuglisi-Allegra Stefano ePuglisi-Allegra Gianluca eBaldassarre |
| author_sort | Emilio eCartoni |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Pavlovian conditioned stimuli can influence instrumental responding, an effect called Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT).During the last decade, PIT has been subdivided into two types: specific PIT and general PIT, each having its own neural substrates.Specific PIT happens when a conditioned stimulus (CS) associated with a reward enhances an instrumental response directed to the same reward.Under general PIT instead, the CS enhances a response directed to a different reward.While important progress has been made into identifying the neural substrates, the function of specific and general PIT and how they interact with instrumental responses, are still not clear.In the experimental paradigm that distinguishes specific and general PIT an effect of PIT inhibition has also been observed and is waiting for an explanation.Here we propose an hypothesis that links these three PIT effects (specific PIT, general PIT and PIT inhibition) to three aspects of action evaluation.These three aspects, which we call "principles of action" are: context, efficacy, and utility.In goal-directed behavior, an agent has to evaluate if the context is suitable to accomplish the goal, the efficacy of his action in getting the goal and the utility of the goal itself:we suggest that each of the three PIT effects is related to one of these aspects of action evaluation.In particular, we link specific PIT with the estimation of efficacy, general PIT with the evaluation of utility and PIT inhibition with the adequacy of context.We also provide a latent cause Bayesian computational model that exemplifies this hypothesis.This hypothesis and the model provide a new framework and new predictions to advance knowledge about PIT functioning and its role in animal adaptation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:38:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4ba43d439fa445c688f6d7bffd7cf146 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5153 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:38:29Z |
| publishDate | 2013-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-4ba43d439fa445c688f6d7bffd7cf1462022-12-22T03:51:23ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience1662-51532013-11-01710.3389/fnbeh.2013.0015363835The three principles of action: a Pavlovian-instrumental transfer hypothesisEmilio eCartoni0Stefano ePuglisi-Allegra1Stefano ePuglisi-Allegra2Gianluca eBaldassarre3Consiglio Nazionale delle RicercheUniversità di Roma La SapienzaFondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCSConsiglio Nazionale delle RicerchePavlovian conditioned stimuli can influence instrumental responding, an effect called Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT).During the last decade, PIT has been subdivided into two types: specific PIT and general PIT, each having its own neural substrates.Specific PIT happens when a conditioned stimulus (CS) associated with a reward enhances an instrumental response directed to the same reward.Under general PIT instead, the CS enhances a response directed to a different reward.While important progress has been made into identifying the neural substrates, the function of specific and general PIT and how they interact with instrumental responses, are still not clear.In the experimental paradigm that distinguishes specific and general PIT an effect of PIT inhibition has also been observed and is waiting for an explanation.Here we propose an hypothesis that links these three PIT effects (specific PIT, general PIT and PIT inhibition) to three aspects of action evaluation.These three aspects, which we call "principles of action" are: context, efficacy, and utility.In goal-directed behavior, an agent has to evaluate if the context is suitable to accomplish the goal, the efficacy of his action in getting the goal and the utility of the goal itself:we suggest that each of the three PIT effects is related to one of these aspects of action evaluation.In particular, we link specific PIT with the estimation of efficacy, general PIT with the evaluation of utility and PIT inhibition with the adequacy of context.We also provide a latent cause Bayesian computational model that exemplifies this hypothesis.This hypothesis and the model provide a new framework and new predictions to advance knowledge about PIT functioning and its role in animal adaptation.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00153/fullNucleus AccumbensBayesian networkgoal-directed behaviorpavlovian-instrumental transferlatent causesspecific PIT |
| spellingShingle | Emilio eCartoni Stefano ePuglisi-Allegra Stefano ePuglisi-Allegra Gianluca eBaldassarre The three principles of action: a Pavlovian-instrumental transfer hypothesis Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience Nucleus Accumbens Bayesian network goal-directed behavior pavlovian-instrumental transfer latent causes specific PIT |
| title | The three principles of action: a Pavlovian-instrumental transfer hypothesis |
| title_full | The three principles of action: a Pavlovian-instrumental transfer hypothesis |
| title_fullStr | The three principles of action: a Pavlovian-instrumental transfer hypothesis |
| title_full_unstemmed | The three principles of action: a Pavlovian-instrumental transfer hypothesis |
| title_short | The three principles of action: a Pavlovian-instrumental transfer hypothesis |
| title_sort | three principles of action a pavlovian instrumental transfer hypothesis |
| topic | Nucleus Accumbens Bayesian network goal-directed behavior pavlovian-instrumental transfer latent causes specific PIT |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00153/full |
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