ABSTRACT

In evaluative conditioning, a conditional stimulus (CS; e.g. a neutral picture) acquires positive/negative valence if it is paired with a pleasant/unpleasant unconditional stimulus (US; e.g. a positive/negative picture). This valence generalises to other stimuli similar to the CS and to the wider CS category. Being informed that the CS will be paired with the US induces a similar change in valence (instructional learning), but it is not clear whether instructional learning would also generalise. In Experiment 1, participants were informed that one shape would be paired with pleasant and another with unpleasant images. These instructions instilled conditional valence to the CSs which generalised to different shapes from the same category (generalisation stimuli). In Experiment 2, we replicated this finding in an implicit measure using stimuli varying in perceptual features. Participants were informed that three CSs from one category (e.g. vegetables) would be paired with pleasant images and three CSs from a second category (e.g. office supplies) would be paired with unpleasant images. This instruction instilled conditional valence to the CSs which generalised to novel exemplars from the same categories. This suggests that conditional valence instilled via instructions generalises to other stimuli – a finding with implications for prejudice and racism.

摘要

在评估条件中，如果条件刺激（CS；例如中性图片）与令人愉快/不愉快的无条件刺激（美国；例如，正面/负面图片）配对，则获得正价/负价。这种化合价可以推广到与CS相似的其他刺激以及更广泛的CS类别。被告知CS将与美国配对会导致类似的价位变化（教学学习），但是尚不清楚教学学习是否也能普遍适用。在实验1中，参与者被告知，一种形状将与令人愉悦的图像配对，而另一种将与令人不愉快的图像配对。这些指令向CS灌输了有条件的化合价，这些化合价普遍归结为同一类别的不同形状（一般化刺激）。在实验2中，我们使用感官特征各不相同的刺激以隐性方式复制了这一发现。与会者被告知，来自一类的三个CS（例如蔬菜）将与令人愉悦的图像配对，而来自第二类的三个CS（例如办公用品）将与令人不愉快的图像配对。该指令向CS灌输了条件价，这些CS普遍适用于相同类别的新颖示例。这表明通过指令灌输的条件价可以推广到其他刺激因素，这一发现可能对偏见和种族主义产生影响。该指令向CS灌输了条件价，这些CS普遍适用于同一类别的新颖示例。这表明通过指令灌输的条件价可以推广到其他刺激因素，这一发现可能对偏见和种族主义产生影响。该指令向CS灌输了条件价，这些CS普遍适用于相同类别的新颖示例。这表明通过指令灌输的条件价可以推广到其他刺激因素，这一发现可能对偏见和种族主义产生影响。