Unconstraining Evaluative Conditioning Research by Using the Reverse Correlation Task

Abstract

In the evaluative conditioning effect, pairing neutral stimuli (conditioned stimuli) with valenced stimuli (unconditioned stimuli) changes the evaluation of the former. We examined this effect with a reverse correlation task that assesses how participants visually remember the conditioned stimuli. Importantly, this measure (1) does not require participants to evaluate stimuli and (2) allows them to capture multiple trait attributions. In a pre-registered experiment with US Prolific Academic users, we observed an evaluative conditioning effect in both an evaluation task and a reverse correlation task. Moreover, the effect in the reverse correlation task went beyond mere changes in valence. Our work opens new empirical and theoretical challenges for future conditioning research.