Personality and conditioning: a test of four models

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Science
• Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

• Individual differences in instrumental conditioning are complex.
• Existing models by Eysenck, Gray, Newman, and Spence offer different explanations.
• The role of personality traits like impulsivity, anxiety, extraversion, and neuroticism needs further clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test hypotheses from four alternative models of individual differences in instrumental conditioning.
• To investigate the association between personality traits (impulsivity, anxiety, extraversion, neuroticism) and performance in a go--no-go discrimination task.
• To evaluate the predictive power of existing models and propose modifications.

Main Methods:

• Conducted four experiments using a standard go--no-go discrimination learning task.
• Measured individual differences in impulsivity, anxiety, extraversion, and neuroticism.
• Analyzed the relationship between these traits and learning performance.

Main Results:

• Individual differences were more strongly associated with impulsivity and anxiety than extraversion and neuroticism.
• High anxiety hindered go--no-go discrimination learning more in highly impulsive individuals.
• High anxiety facilitated learning in low impulsive individuals in some cases.
• Findings partially supported Spence's and Gray's models of anxiety and conditioning but contradicted other aspects.

Conclusions:

• Existing models by Eysenck and Gray regarding extraversion were found incompatible with the data.
• Newman's model regarding extraversion was not inconsistent with the findings.
• Spence's and Gray's models of anxiety and instrumental conditioning received partial support but were also contradicted.
• A modified model of impulsivity and anxiety, incorporating expectancies, was proposed to better fit the observed data.