Contrast Effects in Backward Evaluative Conditioning: Exploring Effects of Affective Relief/Disappointment Versus Instructional Information

Past studies of backward evaluative conditioning (EC) have found an assimilation effect, in that neutral conditional stimuli (conditional stimulus [CS]) were found to acquire the valence of co-occurring unconditional stimuli (US). Recent studies employing a concurrent forward and backward conditioni...

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Main Authors: Green, Luke, Luck, Camilla, Gawronski, B., Lipp, Ottmar
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: 2019
Online Access:http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP180111869
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/79249
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author Green, Luke
Luck, Camilla
Gawronski, B.
Lipp, Ottmar
author_facet Green, Luke
Luck, Camilla
Gawronski, B.
Lipp, Ottmar
author_sort Green, Luke
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Past studies of backward evaluative conditioning (EC) have found an assimilation effect, in that neutral conditional stimuli (conditional stimulus [CS]) were found to acquire the valence of co-occurring unconditional stimuli (US). Recent studies employing a concurrent forward and backward conditioning paradigm with instructions suggesting a contrastive relation between the US and the backward CS have resulted in contrast effects, in that backward CSs acquired valence opposite to the US. The current research investigated whether these effects were in fact due to the instructions highlighting the contrastive relation between the US and CS, or whether affective relief/disappointment experienced at US offset could account for this result. Consistent with the hypothesized role of instructions, backward CS contrast effects occurred only when instructions highlighted the valence of the US and attributed control of that US to the CSs. In contrast to the affective relief/disappointment hypothesis, no backward CS contrast effects were found without such instructions.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-792492020-08-19T06:16:16Z Contrast Effects in Backward Evaluative Conditioning: Exploring Effects of Affective Relief/Disappointment Versus Instructional Information Green, Luke Luck, Camilla Gawronski, B. Lipp, Ottmar Past studies of backward evaluative conditioning (EC) have found an assimilation effect, in that neutral conditional stimuli (conditional stimulus [CS]) were found to acquire the valence of co-occurring unconditional stimuli (US). Recent studies employing a concurrent forward and backward conditioning paradigm with instructions suggesting a contrastive relation between the US and the backward CS have resulted in contrast effects, in that backward CSs acquired valence opposite to the US. The current research investigated whether these effects were in fact due to the instructions highlighting the contrastive relation between the US and CS, or whether affective relief/disappointment experienced at US offset could account for this result. Consistent with the hypothesized role of instructions, backward CS contrast effects occurred only when instructions highlighted the valence of the US and attributed control of that US to the CSs. In contrast to the affective relief/disappointment hypothesis, no backward CS contrast effects were found without such instructions. 2019 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/79249 10.1037/emo0000701 eng http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP180111869 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/SR120300015 fulltext
spellingShingle Green, Luke
Luck, Camilla
Gawronski, B.
Lipp, Ottmar
Contrast Effects in Backward Evaluative Conditioning: Exploring Effects of Affective Relief/Disappointment Versus Instructional Information
title Contrast Effects in Backward Evaluative Conditioning: Exploring Effects of Affective Relief/Disappointment Versus Instructional Information
title_full Contrast Effects in Backward Evaluative Conditioning: Exploring Effects of Affective Relief/Disappointment Versus Instructional Information
title_fullStr Contrast Effects in Backward Evaluative Conditioning: Exploring Effects of Affective Relief/Disappointment Versus Instructional Information
title_full_unstemmed Contrast Effects in Backward Evaluative Conditioning: Exploring Effects of Affective Relief/Disappointment Versus Instructional Information
title_short Contrast Effects in Backward Evaluative Conditioning: Exploring Effects of Affective Relief/Disappointment Versus Instructional Information
title_sort contrast effects in backward evaluative conditioning: exploring effects of affective relief/disappointment versus instructional information
url http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP180111869
http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP180111869
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/79249