Reward at encoding but not retrieval modulates memory for detailed events

Castanheira, Kevin da Silva; Lalla, Azara; Ocampo, Katrina; Otto, A. Ross

doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2021.104957

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Moreover, participants showed a higher drift rate for the incentivized decision, irrespective of whether this decision was fairness-congruent or fairness-incongruent. The observed increase in drift rate for the incentivized decision option is in line with previous studies showing a similar effect with regard to incentivized decisions in a binary dictator game [62], recognition memory [95] and numerosity discrimination [96]. In contrast to the observed increase in drift rate, the financial incentives did not affect the initial bias for fairness-congruent or fairness-incongruent decisions (captured by the z-parameter).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Can monetary incentives overturn fairness-based decisions?

et al. 2023

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Fairness norms and resulting behaviours are an important prerequisite for cooperation in human societies. At the same time, financial incentives are commonly used to motivate social behaviours, yet it remains unclear how financial incentives affect fairness-based behaviours. Combining a decision paradigm from behavioural economics with hierarchical drift-diffusion modelling, we investigated the effect of different financial incentives on two types of fairness-based decisions in four experimental groups. In two groups, participants divided points between themselves and a disadvantaged person, inciting fairness-based compensation behaviour, in two other groups they divided points between themselves and a fairness violator, inciting fairness-based punishment behaviour. In addition, each group received financial incentives that were either aligned or in conflict with the respective fairness-based behaviour. This design allowed us to directly investigate how different incentives shape the cognitive mechanism of fairness-based decisions and whether these effects are comparable across different fairness domains (fairness-based punishment versus fairness-based compensation). Results showed that offering conflicting incentives diminished fairness-congruent decision behaviour and rendered the fairness-congruent decision process less efficient. These findings demonstrate that financial incentives can undermine fairness-based behaviour, and thus are relevant for the development of incentive schemes aimed at fostering cooperative behaviour.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Can monetary incentives overturn fairness-based decisions?

et al. 2023

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“…In addition, people might incorrectly assume learning that information is important only after the fact can enhance memory for that information, when in fact learning the value, and enhancing motivation, after the fact has little effect on how well one can effortfully recall the earlier information (Kassam et al, 2009), although this has not been examined in older adults. Thus, at least in young adults, there is evidence that reward at encoding, but not at retrieval, enhances memory for detailed events-likely driven by an attentional processing mechanism (da Silva Castanheira et al, 2022). Older adults, due to deficits in cognitive control, may be particularly at risk in situations when interference can influence memory for high-value information (Murphy & Castel, 2022a), such as when learning multiple lists where the value is only revealed after the initial encoding session.…”

Section: Goal Driven Value-directed Memory Selectivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Value-directed memory selectivity relies on goal-directed knowledge of value structure prior to encoding in young and older adults.

Schwartz

Siegel

Eich

et al. 2023

Psychology and Aging

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People are generally able to selectively attend and remember high-value over low-value information. Here, we investigated whether young and older adults would display typical value-based memory selectivity effects for to-be-learned item-value associations when goal-directed information about the meaning of associated values was presented before and after encoding. In two experiments, both young and older adults were presented with one (Experiment 1) or multiple (Experiment 2) lists of words that were arbitrarily paired with different numerical values (e.g., "door-8") or font colors (e.g., "door" presented in red), which indicated each word's value. In Experiment 1, participants were told that the numerical value indicated the relative importance of each item either before they studied the list (preencoding), after they studied it (postencoding), or not at all (no value control instructions). Older adults were significantly more selective in the preencoding condition relative to the other conditions, whereas younger adults were not selective in any condition on this single-list (numerical) value task of Experiment 1. In Experiment 2, young and older adults were tested on four additional lists of both pre-and postencoding trials each after studying and recalling four lists of words without any value instructions. Results from Experiment 2 revealed that both young and older adults selectively prioritized high-value words on the preencoding trials, but not on postencoding trials, on this color-based categorical (low-medium-high) value task. The present study highlights a critical role of goal-directed knowledge of value-based instructions prior to encoding to facilitate typically observed valuedirected memory selectivity for important information. Public Significance StatementThe present study examines how expectations and goals can influence selective memory for important information in young and older adults. We found that awareness of a value-directed goal state prior to learning may be necessary for effective value-based prioritization of important information in memory, and that younger adults may require several trials of learning to effectively engage processes that maximize memory efficiency compared to older adults who quickly engage these processes. Overall, we provide novel evidence regarding the conditions under which young and older adults engage selective memory processes for important information based on when value-directed goals are implemented.

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“…To do this, we employ an attentionally demanding oddball task (Beierholm et al, 2013; see Figure 1), which required participants to maintain active attention to make rapid (sub-second) and accurate judgements about which of three stimuli presented on the screen is the "odd one out". Critically, on half of the trials, participants were presented with visual information about their progress with respect to a goal (Figure 1A)-i.e., the number of remaining correct responses needed to complete a block and receive a monetary reward-allowing us to measure subject-specific modulations in performance (response time and accuracy) as a function of goal proximity and, in turn, to probe the specific computational mechanisms underpinning potential goal-gradient effects using a Drift Diffusion Model (Wiecki et al, 2013;da Silva Castanheira et al, 2022).…”

Section: Public Significance Statementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Proximity to Rewards Modulates Parameters of Effortful Control Exertion

Devine¹,

Roy²,

Beierholm³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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The now-classic goal gradient hypothesis posits that organisms increase effort expenditure as a function of their proximity to a goal. Despite nearly a century having passed since its original formulation, goal gradient-like behaviour in human cognitive performance remains poorly understood: are we more willing to engage in costly cognitive processing when we are near, versus far from a goal state? Moreover, the computational mechanisms underpinning these potential goal gradient effects—for example, whether goal proximity affects fidelity of stimulus encoding, response caution, or other identifiable mechanisms governing speed and accuracy—are unclear. Here, in two experiments, we examine the effect of goal proximity, operationalized as progress towards completion of a rewarded task block, upon task performance in an attentionally demanding oddball task. Supporting the goal gradient hypothesis, we found that participants responded more quickly, but not less accurately, when rewards were proximal than when they were distal. Critically, this effect was only observed when participants were given information about goal proximity. Using hierarchical Drift Diffusion Modeling, we found that these apparent goal gradient performance effects were best explained by increased information processing efficiency, but also reduced response caution. Taken together, these results suggest that goal gradients could help explain the oft-observed fluctuations in engagement of cognitively effortful processing, extending the scope of the goal-gradient hypothesis to the domain of cognitive tasks.

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Reward at encoding but not retrieval modulates memory for detailed events

Cited by 5 publications

References 49 publications

Can monetary incentives overturn fairness-based decisions?

Can monetary incentives overturn fairness-based decisions?

Value-directed memory selectivity relies on goal-directed knowledge of value structure prior to encoding in young and older adults.

Proximity to Rewards Modulates Parameters of Effortful Control Exertion

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