The Elusiveness of Evaluative Conditioning

Evaluative conditioning (EC) is an important variant of Pavlovian conditioning in which the outcome is a change in affective response to the conditioned stimulus (CS). It is the best extant account, with evidence, for affective change in humans. Good laboratory models are available. This paper reviews a set of findings which suggest that the actual occurrence of EC, and its magnitude, varies widely in both real world and laboratory situations. Attention to known parameters of Pavlovian conditioning may account for some, but not all, of the failures and successes. Six empirical studies on humans are described; two document frequent failures of EC to occur in real world situations where the Pavlovian conditions for development of animal phobias or taste aversions are present, two are real-world experiments in which no evidence for EC is obtained, and two are laboratory failures to produce EC, by pairing neutral odor CSs with a variety of unconditioned stimuli (USs). We suggest that there are important, not understood factors, that modulate the appearance of EC, and that for both theoretical and applied reasons, these factors should be identified.     

Reactions to Interpersonal Evaluative Feedback1

Self-enhancement approaches to self-concept provide a perspective for identifying motivational factors likely to be affected by interpersonal evaluative feedback. The main hypothesies were that in contrast to positive feedback, negative feedback would lead to higher self-esteem, lower perceptions of task importance, and lower perceptions of control over an evaluator's reactions. Students received a lesson on solving analogies from a teacher (confederate), and then took a test on analogies. After reviewing the student's test, the teacher conveyed either positive feedback, negative feedback, or no feedback. Consistent with a self-enhancement perspective, recipients of negative feedback increased their global self-esteem, placed less importance on succeeding at the task, and felt less control over the teachers' reactions. Implications for understanding the role of interpersonal evaluative feedback in motivation and self-esteem, and self-enhancing responses to threats more generally are discussed.     

The Evaluative Factor of Risk Perception

This study was aimed at identifying an evaluative factor in perceived risk that was independent of the previously identified Dread and Knowledge factors. The methodology used was that developed by Slovic, Fischhoff, and Lichtenstein (1985a) with the addition of four new dimensions: personal position, economic justification, justification through well-being, and beneficial to society. This evaluative factor was identified, and loads the four above-mentioned dimensions while excluding 11 others. This evaluative factor primarily emerges as a major determinant in subjects' demands for risk control legislation.     

Promotions Spontaneously Induce a Positive Evaluative Response

Research has suggested that conscious cognitive processes mediate positive responses to promotions. In contrast, we find that exposure to promotional stimuli evokes a positive evaluative reaction spontaneously and that this reaction generalizes to products that are evaluated subsequently. Three experiments support our predictions and rule out alternative possibilities. Specifically, we find that promotions spontaneously evoke positive evaluative responses and that these responses mediate liking for a target product. Our findings also identify conditions under which promotion‐generated evaluative responses are transferred to products unrelated to the promotion and indicate the type of product categories that are likely to produce this effect. The theoretical and substantive implications of this research are discussed.     

Evaluative conditioning: Overview and further options

Abstract

The demonstration of evaluative conditioning by Baeyens, Eelen, and Van den Bergh confirms our previous findings and extends the evidential basis for conditioning without awareness. The case made against their findings by Shanks and Dickinson is not supported by the methodological claims they advance. We suggest alternative control procedures and argue that evaluative conditioning plays an adaptive role in the formation of preferences.     

信念修正中的一种新型评价算子研究

本文考察了评价算子,即刻画认知主体如何借助评价依据来理性评价新信息的算子,它放弃新信息中部分不可信信息,但是与传统收缩算子不同,它不指定收缩的信息而只要求评价结果与评价依据相一致。S.O.Hansson认为以单个句子作为新信息的非优先信念修正具有三种模式:决策–修正(Decision-Revision)、整合选择(Integrated Choice)和膨胀–巩固(Expansion-Consolidation)。评价算子单独刻画了非优先复合修正决策–修正模式的决策模块,对于修正模块这里不作探讨。我们先按AGM信念修正模式对评价算子进行了公理性刻画,接着通过不一致核心集和一致保留集分别构造了核心评价算子和部分交评价算子,然后分别证明了这两种算子与公理性刻画之间的表达定理,最后对评价算子和其他相关工作进行了比较。     

Evaluative bias and self-enhancement among gender groups

One hundred and one middle managers (66 men, 35 women) evaluated themselves, ingroup (same sex) members and outgroup (opposite sex) members on both stereotypical and on contextual masculine and feminine dimensions. The results showed that men favoured ingroup members on the masculine dimensions and women favoured ingroup members on the feminine dimensions. In addition, both sexes favoured themselves over ingroup and outgroup. The results are discussed in terms of social identity theory, self-categorization theory and egocentric social categorization model.     

Attention,Emotion, and Evaluative Understanding

Philosophia - This paper assesses Michael Brady’s claim that the ‘capture and consumption of attention’ in an emotion facilitates evaluative understanding. It argues that...