Dissociating the predictive and incentive motivational properties of reward-related cues through the study of individual differences.

ABSTRACT:

Background

If presentation of a stimulus (conditional stimulus, CS) reliably predicts delivery of a reward, the CS will come to evoke a conditional response (CR) through Pavlovian learning, and the CS may also acquire incentive motivational properties. Thus, CSs can have both predictive and incentive properties. We ask here whether it is possible to dissociate the predictive versus incentive properties of a CS in rats by considering individual differences in the nature of the CR.

Methods

We used Pavlovian procedures to study the ability of a localizable CS (an illuminated lever) to acquire two properties of an incentive stimulus-the ability to attract and the ability to act as a conditional reinforcer.

Results

For some rats, the CS evoked a "sign-tracking" CR, consist

SUBMITTER: Robinson TE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2737368 | biostudies-literature | 2009 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature