Impact of temporal uncertainty on sign-tracking behavior

Sign-tracking behavior, also known as "autoshaping," is defined as the approach and interaction with reward-predictive cues. It is associated with addiction-related phenotypes and compulsive behavior. Several previous studies have demonstrated that when there is uncertainty about reward properties (e.g., probability and magnitude), sign tracking is increased. However, the effect of cue uncertainty on sign-tracking behavior is not known. Here, using a Pavlovian conditioning paradigm, we held the duration of cues constant and manipulated the temporal uncertainty by implementing either fixed or variable intertrial intervals (ITIs) of different durations across groups of mice. Variable ITIs create temporal uncertainty about when the next cue will occur as well as uncertainty about the interval from the last reward until the next one. We found that temporal uncertainty during acquisition significantly enhances sign tracking, which persists during extinction, even when ITI variability was different in the extinction session than in the acquisition session. This suggests that the effects of temporal uncertainty are learned and retained rather than performance based. Our results demonstrate that sign-tracking behavior is not only modified by the characteristic of the reward, but it can also be modified by uncertainty regarding cues. These findings highlight how temporal predictability shapes cue-directed behaviors and has implications for understanding addiction and compulsive disorders. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).