Examining the impact of cue similarity and fear learning on perceptual tuning
Abstract Past research on the effects of associative aversive learning on discrimination acuity has shown mixed results, including increases, decreases, and no changes in discrimination ability. An animal study found that the type of learning experience determined the direction and extent of learnin...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-40166-w |
| _version_ | 1797559901853057024 |
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| author | Jonas Zaman Kenny Yu Marta Andreatta Matthias J. Wieser Yannik Stegmann |
| author_facet | Jonas Zaman Kenny Yu Marta Andreatta Matthias J. Wieser Yannik Stegmann |
| author_sort | Jonas Zaman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Past research on the effects of associative aversive learning on discrimination acuity has shown mixed results, including increases, decreases, and no changes in discrimination ability. An animal study found that the type of learning experience determined the direction and extent of learning-induced changes. The current preregistered web-based study aimed to translate these findings to humans. Experiment 1 (N = 245) compared changes in stimulus discrimination between simple learning (only one oriented grating cue), coarse differential conditioning (physically distinct cues), and fine differential conditioning (physically similar cues) as well as to their three respective control groups. The discrimination task consisted of a two-alternative-forced-choice task with oriented grating stimuli. During learning, a specific orientation was paired with unpleasant pictures. Our analysis using generative modeling demonstrated weak to moderate evidence that aversive learning did not alter discrimination acuity in any of the groups. In a follow-up experiment (N = 121), we replicated these findings despite successful learning trajectories in all three groups and a more detailed assessment of discrimination acuity. Contrary to prior assumptions, our findings indicate that aversive learning does not enhance perceptual discrimination, and the presence of additional safety cues does not appear to moderate this effect. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:51:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5de9f5fe91884a3096351e4945baf729 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:51:46Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-5de9f5fe91884a3096351e4945baf7292023-11-20T09:19:39ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-08-0113111210.1038/s41598-023-40166-wExamining the impact of cue similarity and fear learning on perceptual tuningJonas Zaman0Kenny Yu1Marta Andreatta2Matthias J. Wieser3Yannik Stegmann4Centre for the Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology, KU LeuvenQuantitative Psychology and Individual Differences, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU LeuvenDepartment of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University RotterdamDepartment of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University RotterdamDepartment of Psychology (Experimental Clinical Psychology), University of WürzburgAbstract Past research on the effects of associative aversive learning on discrimination acuity has shown mixed results, including increases, decreases, and no changes in discrimination ability. An animal study found that the type of learning experience determined the direction and extent of learning-induced changes. The current preregistered web-based study aimed to translate these findings to humans. Experiment 1 (N = 245) compared changes in stimulus discrimination between simple learning (only one oriented grating cue), coarse differential conditioning (physically distinct cues), and fine differential conditioning (physically similar cues) as well as to their three respective control groups. The discrimination task consisted of a two-alternative-forced-choice task with oriented grating stimuli. During learning, a specific orientation was paired with unpleasant pictures. Our analysis using generative modeling demonstrated weak to moderate evidence that aversive learning did not alter discrimination acuity in any of the groups. In a follow-up experiment (N = 121), we replicated these findings despite successful learning trajectories in all three groups and a more detailed assessment of discrimination acuity. Contrary to prior assumptions, our findings indicate that aversive learning does not enhance perceptual discrimination, and the presence of additional safety cues does not appear to moderate this effect.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-40166-w |
| spellingShingle | Jonas Zaman Kenny Yu Marta Andreatta Matthias J. Wieser Yannik Stegmann Examining the impact of cue similarity and fear learning on perceptual tuning Scientific Reports |
| title | Examining the impact of cue similarity and fear learning on perceptual tuning |
| title_full | Examining the impact of cue similarity and fear learning on perceptual tuning |
| title_fullStr | Examining the impact of cue similarity and fear learning on perceptual tuning |
| title_full_unstemmed | Examining the impact of cue similarity and fear learning on perceptual tuning |
| title_short | Examining the impact of cue similarity and fear learning on perceptual tuning |
| title_sort | examining the impact of cue similarity and fear learning on perceptual tuning |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-40166-w |
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