Changing value through cued approach: an automatic mechanism of behavior change

Abstract

It is believed that choice behavior reveals the underlying value of goods. The subjective values of stimuli can be changed through reward-based learning mechanisms as well as by modifying the description of the decision problem, but it has yet to be shown that preferences can be manipulated by perturbing intrinsic values of individual items. Here we show that the value of food items can be modulated by the concurrent presentation of an irrelevant auditory cue to which subjects must make a simple motor response (i.e. cue-approach training). Follow-up tests show that the effects of this pairing on choice lasted at least two months after prolonged training. Eye-tracking during choice confirmed that cue-approach training increased attention to the cued items. Neuroimaging revealed the neural signature of a value change in the form of amplified preference-related activity in ventromedial prefrontal cortex.

The Cue-Approach Task as a General Mechanism for Long-Term Non-Reinforced Behavioral Change<strong></strong>

“…The effect was maintained two-months following training 11 . Additional studies with CAT 12 found that for the behavioral change to take place, cue-approach training required the presence of both a speeded button press response and a cue; i.e.…”

“…We assessed the long-term effect following a period of one-month (Experiment 7), two-months (Experiments 5 and 6), four-months (Experiment 2) and six-months (Experiment 8) after training. Demonstrating that the behavioral change effect is durable over a long period of time could point to its underlying mechanism that putatively effects the low-level representation of the items 29 , as well as potential applicability in inducing long-term change.Based on previous findings [11][12][13][14][15] , we hypothesized that CAT would result in increased preferences for Go items (i.e. items that were previously associated with a cue and a response)…”

“…Currently it is suggested that the underlying mechanism relies on attention 11,12,15 , inspired by its conceptual resemblance to the attentional boost effect 16 , where memory for task-irrelevant stimuli was enhanced when stimuli co-appeared with an irrelevant target cue. Thus far, the CAT effect, was demonstrated only on consumable items with a neutral auditory cue and up to a twomonths follow up.…”

“…Scientific research on behavioral change mainly focused on the effects of external reinforcements 2,[4][5][6][7] or altering the presentation of the decision problem [8][9][10] . Recently, the Cue-Approach Task (CAT) 11 was introduced as a successful method for enhancing preferences for food items, without external reinforcement, context change or self-control. Here, we test multiple hypotheses that are aimed to shed light on this mechanism by studying its generalizability to multiple stimuli and cues, as well as the long-term durability of the effect.…”

“…Further imaging classification studies were not able to clearly define its underlying basic cognitive constructs, but did show the involvement of frontal control networks following training 15 . Currently it is suggested that the underlying mechanism relies on attention 11,12,15 , inspired by its conceptual resemblance to the attentional boost effect 16 , where memory for task-irrelevant stimuli was enhanced when stimuli co-appeared with an irrelevant target cue. Thus far, the CAT effect, was demonstrated only on consumable items with a neutral auditory cue and up to a twomonths follow up.…”