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Asymmetrical learning and memory for acquired gain versus loss associations
Ziyong Lin1, Lilian E Cabrera-Haro2, Patricia A Reuter-Lorenz2
1University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA; Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.
Cognition
|June 9, 2020
Summary
People learn to associate neutral stimuli with positive or negative outcomes. This study reveals a learning asymmetry where win associations are learned better than loss associations, impacting cognitive processing.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Neutral stimuli gain value through association with positive (gain) or negative (loss) outcomes.
- Acquired value influences attention, memory, and behavior towards associated stimuli.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate a potential asymmetry in learning gain versus loss associations.
- Examine the consequences of this learning asymmetry on cognitive processing.
Main Methods:
- Meta-analysis of probabilistic learning tasks with win, loss, and no-change outcomes.
- Two empirical studies using landscape images with point or monetary rewards.
- Post-learning source recognition task to assess explicit knowledge of outcome contingencies.
Main Results:
- Meta-analysis showed superior learning of win associations over loss associations.
- Empirical studies confirmed this learning asymmetry regardless of reward type or explicit instructions.
- Source recognition performance was better for gain-associated stimuli than loss-associated stimuli.
Conclusions:
- Acquisition of gain and loss associations is not equivalent, even with symmetrical learning parameters.
- Learning asymmetries contribute to valence and optimality differences in cognitive processing.
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