Appetitive and aversive taste conditioning in a computer game influences real-world decision making and subsequent activation in insular cortex. Export

@article{citeulike:4065267, abstract = {A stimulus, by virtue of its pairing with a rewarding or an aversive outcome, can acquire motivating properties reflecting that outcome. However, there is uncertainty concerning the extent to which such properties might be carried across contexts. In the current study we sought to determine whether conditioning-dependent motivational properties can transfer from a computer game to the real world and, further, whether this conditioning might be expressed in terms of brain responses measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We studied healthy participants conditioned with aversive and appetitive drinks in the context of a virtual cycling race. Three days after conditioning, participants returned for a fMRI session. We took this opportunity to observe the impact of incidental presentation of conditioned stimuli on a real-world decision (seat choice). We found a significant influence of conditioning on seat choice and, moreover, noted that individual susceptibility to this influence was reflected in differential insula cortex responses during subsequent scanning. The choice was also predicted by participants' personality scores and, as a statistical trend (p=0.07), by their sense of immersion in the game environment. Our data show that motivational properties of stimuli can transfer from the virtual to the real world. While much concern has been expressed over the impact of virtual experience on general levels of aggression and mood, our data point to another important consideration: the fact that a stimulus in the virtual environment can acquire motivational properties that persist and modify behavior in the real world.}, author = {McCabe, J. A. and Tobler, P. N. and Schultz, W. and Dickinson, A. and Lupson, V. and Fletcher, P. C.}, citeulike-article-id = {4065267}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3938-08.2009}, citeulike-linkout-1 = {http://www.jneurosci.org/cgi/content/abstract/29/4/1046}, citeulike-linkout-2 = {http://view.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19176813}, citeulike-linkout-3 = {http://www.hubmed.org/display.cgi?uids=19176813}, day = {28}, doi = {10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3938-08.2009}, issn = {1529-2401}, journal = {The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience}, keywords = {bicycle, conditioning, fmri, logo}, month = {January}, number = {4}, pages = {1046--1051}, posted-at = {2009-07-26 03:53:21}, priority = {2}, title = {Appetitive and aversive taste conditioning in a computer game influences real-world decision making and subsequent activation in insular cortex.}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3938-08.2009}, volume = {29}, year = {2009} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:4065267 L3 - citeulike-article-id:4065267 N2 - A stimulus, by virtue of its pairing with a rewarding or an aversive outcome, can acquire motivating properties reflecting that outcome. However, there is uncertainty concerning the extent to which such properties might be carried across contexts. In the current study we sought to determine whether conditioning-dependent motivational properties can transfer from a computer game to the real world and, further, whether this conditioning might be expressed in terms of brain responses measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We studied healthy participants conditioned with aversive and appetitive drinks in the context of a virtual cycling race. Three days after conditioning, participants returned for a fMRI session. We took this opportunity to observe the impact of incidental presentation of conditioned stimuli on a real-world decision (seat choice). We found a significant influence of conditioning on seat choice and, moreover, noted that individual susceptibility to this influence was reflected in differential insula cortex responses during subsequent scanning. The choice was also predicted by participants' personality scores and, as a statistical trend (p=0.07), by their sense of immersion in the game environment. Our data show that motivational properties of stimuli can transfer from the virtual to the real world. While much concern has been expressed over the impact of virtual experience on general levels of aggression and mood, our data point to another important consideration: the fact that a stimulus in the virtual environment can acquire motivational properties that persist and modify behavior in the real world. IS - 4 JF - The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience SN - 1529-2401 EP - 1051 TI - Appetitive and aversive taste conditioning in a computer game influences real-world decision making and subsequent activation in insular cortex. VL - 29 SP - 1046 KW - bicycle KW - conditioning KW - fmri KW - logo AU - McCabe, JA AU - Tobler, PN AU - Schultz, W AU - Dickinson, A AU - Lupson, V AU - Fletcher, PC PY - 2009/01/28/ UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3938-08.2009 ER -