Environmental control of social goals: using Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer to test cue-based pro-self and pro-social outcome responses
A large amount of literature demonstrates that social behaviour can be triggered by environmental cues. A long-standing debate involves the question of whether such stimuli trigger behaviour directly (i.e. habits) or whether these effects mediate goals. As studies on automatic goal pursuit typically...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Royal Society
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
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| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.220660 |
| _version_ | 1797854799450865664 |
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| author | Kaiyang Qin Hans Marien Ruud Custers Henk Aarts |
| author_facet | Kaiyang Qin Hans Marien Ruud Custers Henk Aarts |
| author_sort | Kaiyang Qin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A large amount of literature demonstrates that social behaviour can be triggered by environmental cues. A long-standing debate involves the question of whether such stimuli trigger behaviour directly (i.e. habits) or whether these effects mediate goals. As studies on automatic goal pursuit typically use real-world cues that are already associated with the behaviour and potentially the goal, it is impossible to make strong claims about the nature of the effects. In the present paper, we use a paradigm inspired by the Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) literature to examine how the environment can trigger goal-directed behaviour. Building on the essence of pro-self and pro-social motives in humans, two experiments explored the PIT effect when the outcomes were framed in terms of self- versus other-interest. Participants performed actions to earn money for themselves or a charity. Each outcome was linked to a different cue. The results showed that a cue predictive of self-interest outcomes facilitated responses instrumental in gaining the outcome, while such specific PIT effect for other-interest outcomes only emerged when participants were free to donate the money. We briefly discuss these findings reflecting on whether the PIT effect in our paradigm is indeed sensitive to the value of social goals. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T20:13:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-65cdf727fe33410481063ca6507ffa54 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T20:13:07Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-65cdf727fe33410481063ca6507ffa542023-03-31T14:19:58ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032023-01-0110110.1098/rsos.220660Environmental control of social goals: using Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer to test cue-based pro-self and pro-social outcome responsesKaiyang Qin0Hans Marien1Ruud Custers2Henk Aarts3Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CS, The NetherlandsDepartment of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CS, The NetherlandsDepartment of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CS, The NetherlandsDepartment of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CS, The NetherlandsA large amount of literature demonstrates that social behaviour can be triggered by environmental cues. A long-standing debate involves the question of whether such stimuli trigger behaviour directly (i.e. habits) or whether these effects mediate goals. As studies on automatic goal pursuit typically use real-world cues that are already associated with the behaviour and potentially the goal, it is impossible to make strong claims about the nature of the effects. In the present paper, we use a paradigm inspired by the Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) literature to examine how the environment can trigger goal-directed behaviour. Building on the essence of pro-self and pro-social motives in humans, two experiments explored the PIT effect when the outcomes were framed in terms of self- versus other-interest. Participants performed actions to earn money for themselves or a charity. Each outcome was linked to a different cue. The results showed that a cue predictive of self-interest outcomes facilitated responses instrumental in gaining the outcome, while such specific PIT effect for other-interest outcomes only emerged when participants were free to donate the money. We briefly discuss these findings reflecting on whether the PIT effect in our paradigm is indeed sensitive to the value of social goals.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.220660goalsmonetary rewardsself-interestother-interestPavlovian-to-instrumental transfer |
| spellingShingle | Kaiyang Qin Hans Marien Ruud Custers Henk Aarts Environmental control of social goals: using Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer to test cue-based pro-self and pro-social outcome responses Royal Society Open Science goals monetary rewards self-interest other-interest Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer |
| title | Environmental control of social goals: using Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer to test cue-based pro-self and pro-social outcome responses |
| title_full | Environmental control of social goals: using Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer to test cue-based pro-self and pro-social outcome responses |
| title_fullStr | Environmental control of social goals: using Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer to test cue-based pro-self and pro-social outcome responses |
| title_full_unstemmed | Environmental control of social goals: using Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer to test cue-based pro-self and pro-social outcome responses |
| title_short | Environmental control of social goals: using Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer to test cue-based pro-self and pro-social outcome responses |
| title_sort | environmental control of social goals using pavlovian to instrumental transfer to test cue based pro self and pro social outcome responses |
| topic | goals monetary rewards self-interest other-interest Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.220660 |
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