Pub Date : 2024-07-01DOI: 10.1038/s44271-024-00108-2
Casper Kerrén, Yiming Zhao, Benjamin J. Griffiths
When we recall a past event, we reconstruct the event based on a combination of episodic details and semantic knowledge (e.g., prototypes). Though prototypes can impair the veracity of recall, it remains unclear whether we are metacognitively aware of the distortions they introduce. To address this, we conducted six experiments in which participants learned object-colour/object-location pairs and subsequently recalled the colour/location when cued with the object. Leveraging unsupervised machine learning algorithms, we extracted participant-specific prototypes and embedded responses in two-dimensional space to quantify prototype-based distortions in individual memory traces. Our findings reveal robust and conceptually replicable evidence to suggest that prototype-based distortion is accompanied by a reduction in self-reported confidence - an implicit measure of metacognitive awareness. Critically, we find evidence to suggest that it is prototype-based distortion of a memory trace that undermines confidence, rather than a lack of confidence biasing reconstruction towards the use of prototypes. Collectively, these findings suggest that we possess metacognitive awareness of distortions embedded in our memories. When people recall memories, they are less confident in the accuracy of those memories which appear prototypical, suggesting that people are aware of when their memories might be distorted by pre existing knowledge.
{"title":"A reduction in self-reported confidence accompanies the recall of memories distorted by prototypes","authors":"Casper Kerrén, Yiming Zhao, Benjamin J. Griffiths","doi":"10.1038/s44271-024-00108-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44271-024-00108-2","url":null,"abstract":"When we recall a past event, we reconstruct the event based on a combination of episodic details and semantic knowledge (e.g., prototypes). Though prototypes can impair the veracity of recall, it remains unclear whether we are metacognitively aware of the distortions they introduce. To address this, we conducted six experiments in which participants learned object-colour/object-location pairs and subsequently recalled the colour/location when cued with the object. Leveraging unsupervised machine learning algorithms, we extracted participant-specific prototypes and embedded responses in two-dimensional space to quantify prototype-based distortions in individual memory traces. Our findings reveal robust and conceptually replicable evidence to suggest that prototype-based distortion is accompanied by a reduction in self-reported confidence - an implicit measure of metacognitive awareness. Critically, we find evidence to suggest that it is prototype-based distortion of a memory trace that undermines confidence, rather than a lack of confidence biasing reconstruction towards the use of prototypes. Collectively, these findings suggest that we possess metacognitive awareness of distortions embedded in our memories. When people recall memories, they are less confident in the accuracy of those memories which appear prototypical, suggesting that people are aware of when their memories might be distorted by pre existing knowledge.","PeriodicalId":501698,"journal":{"name":"Communications Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-024-00108-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141500492","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-29DOI: 10.1038/s44271-024-00110-8
Laura G. E. Smith, Richard Owen, Alicia Cork, Olivia Brown
Innovations in generative AI to create human-like text, images, and videos can cause social, psychological, and political harms. Here, we explain how psychologists can mobilize their extensive theoretical and empirical resources to better anticipate, understand, and mitigate those harms. Innovations in generative AI can cause social, psychological, and political harms. This Comment explains how psychologists can mobilize their extensive theoretical and empirical resources to better anticipate, understand, and mitigate those harms.
{"title":"How and why psychologists should respond to the harms associated with generative AI","authors":"Laura G. E. Smith, Richard Owen, Alicia Cork, Olivia Brown","doi":"10.1038/s44271-024-00110-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44271-024-00110-8","url":null,"abstract":"Innovations in generative AI to create human-like text, images, and videos can cause social, psychological, and political harms. Here, we explain how psychologists can mobilize their extensive theoretical and empirical resources to better anticipate, understand, and mitigate those harms. Innovations in generative AI can cause social, psychological, and political harms. This Comment explains how psychologists can mobilize their extensive theoretical and empirical resources to better anticipate, understand, and mitigate those harms.","PeriodicalId":501698,"journal":{"name":"Communications Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"1-3"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-024-00110-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141500491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-18DOI: 10.1038/s44271-024-00080-x
Dora Simunovic, Anna Dorfman, Maayan Katzir
This work explored polarization over Israel’s Judicial Reform, introduced in January 2023. We find that the reform divided people into pro- and anti-reform camps, which differed in characteristics such as institutional trust, patriotism, and national identity. For example, the camps disagreed about trust in the government versus the judiciary. In line with motivated reasoning—biased reasoning processes used to reach desired conclusions—people’s pre-existing characteristics motivated polarized views of the reform as a threat to democracy (issue-based polarization) and negative emotions towards opponents (affective polarization). Further demonstrating a motivated process, pro-reform participants (the electorate majority), prioritized majority rule over other democratic features (e.g., minority rights) compared to anti-reform participants. Polarization differentially predicted downstream consequences (e.g., protest methods), indicating that the camps’ reactions were motivated by the extremity of their views and negative emotions. This work extends the understanding of potentially motivated polarization processes and their immediate downstream consequences. Polarization can increase rapidly when motivated by pre-existing positions. People who supported and opposed the 2023 Judicial Reform in Israel differed in relevant characteristics, which in turn shaped their views and response to the reform.
{"title":"Exploring motivated reasoning in polarization over the unfolding 2023 judicial reform in Israel","authors":"Dora Simunovic, Anna Dorfman, Maayan Katzir","doi":"10.1038/s44271-024-00080-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44271-024-00080-x","url":null,"abstract":"This work explored polarization over Israel’s Judicial Reform, introduced in January 2023. We find that the reform divided people into pro- and anti-reform camps, which differed in characteristics such as institutional trust, patriotism, and national identity. For example, the camps disagreed about trust in the government versus the judiciary. In line with motivated reasoning—biased reasoning processes used to reach desired conclusions—people’s pre-existing characteristics motivated polarized views of the reform as a threat to democracy (issue-based polarization) and negative emotions towards opponents (affective polarization). Further demonstrating a motivated process, pro-reform participants (the electorate majority), prioritized majority rule over other democratic features (e.g., minority rights) compared to anti-reform participants. Polarization differentially predicted downstream consequences (e.g., protest methods), indicating that the camps’ reactions were motivated by the extremity of their views and negative emotions. This work extends the understanding of potentially motivated polarization processes and their immediate downstream consequences. Polarization can increase rapidly when motivated by pre-existing positions. People who supported and opposed the 2023 Judicial Reform in Israel differed in relevant characteristics, which in turn shaped their views and response to the reform.","PeriodicalId":501698,"journal":{"name":"Communications Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"1-16"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-024-00080-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141430337","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-10DOI: 10.1038/s44271-024-00109-1
M. Cohen, M. Abargil, M. Ahissar, S. Atzil
The mechanisms of romantic bonding in humans are largely unknown. Recent research suggests that physiological synchrony between partners is associated with bonding. This study combines an experimental approach with a naturalistic dating setup to test whether the individual differences in social and nonsocial synchrony are interdependent, and linked to romantic attractiveness. In a preregistered online experiment with 144 participants, we discover that inducing physiological synchrony between an actor and an actress determines their attractiveness ratings by participants, indicating that synchrony can increase perceived attraction. In a lab-based naturalistic speed-dating experiment, we quantify in 48 participants the individual tendency for social physiological synchrony, nonsocial sensorimotor synchrony, and romantic attractiveness. We discover that the individual propensity to synchronize in social and nonsocial tasks is correlated. Some individuals synchronize better regardless of partners or tasks, and such Super Synchronizers are rated as more attractive. Altogether, this demonstrates that humans prefer romantic partners who can synchronize. Social and nonsocial synchrony are interdependent and can increase perceived attraction. Some individuals have a greater propensity for synchrony, and such Super Synchronizers are rated as the most attractive partners.
{"title":"Social and nonsocial synchrony are interrelated and romantically attractive","authors":"M. Cohen, M. Abargil, M. Ahissar, S. Atzil","doi":"10.1038/s44271-024-00109-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44271-024-00109-1","url":null,"abstract":"The mechanisms of romantic bonding in humans are largely unknown. Recent research suggests that physiological synchrony between partners is associated with bonding. This study combines an experimental approach with a naturalistic dating setup to test whether the individual differences in social and nonsocial synchrony are interdependent, and linked to romantic attractiveness. In a preregistered online experiment with 144 participants, we discover that inducing physiological synchrony between an actor and an actress determines their attractiveness ratings by participants, indicating that synchrony can increase perceived attraction. In a lab-based naturalistic speed-dating experiment, we quantify in 48 participants the individual tendency for social physiological synchrony, nonsocial sensorimotor synchrony, and romantic attractiveness. We discover that the individual propensity to synchronize in social and nonsocial tasks is correlated. Some individuals synchronize better regardless of partners or tasks, and such Super Synchronizers are rated as more attractive. Altogether, this demonstrates that humans prefer romantic partners who can synchronize. Social and nonsocial synchrony are interdependent and can increase perceived attraction. Some individuals have a greater propensity for synchrony, and such Super Synchronizers are rated as the most attractive partners.","PeriodicalId":501698,"journal":{"name":"Communications Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-024-00109-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141308926","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-08DOI: 10.1038/s44271-024-00105-5
Karolina Ignatiadis, Diane Baier, Roberto Barumerli, István Sziller, Brigitta Tóth, Robert Baumgartner
Adaptive biases in favor of approaching, or “looming”, sounds have been found across ages and species, thereby implicating the potential of their evolutionary origin and universal basis. The human auditory system is well-developed at birth, yet spatial hearing abilities further develop with age. To disentangle the speculated inborn, evolutionary component of the auditory looming bias from its learned counterpart, we collected high-density electroencephalographic data across human adults and newborns. As distance-motion cues we manipulated either the sound’s intensity or spectral shape, which is pinna-induced and thus prenatally inaccessible. Through cortical source localisation we demonstrated the emergence of the bias in both age groups at the level of Heschl’s gyrus. Adults exhibited the bias in both attentive and inattentive states; yet differences in amplitude and latency appeared based on attention and cue type. Contrary to the adults, in newborns the bias was elicited only through manipulations of intensity and not spectral cues. We conclude that the looming bias comprises innate components while flexibly incorporating the spatial cues acquired through lifelong exposure. The auditory looming bias, which makes approaching sounds more cognitively salient than receding sounds, was evoked in both newborns and adults using intensity cues. However, only adults responded to spectral cues.
{"title":"Cortical signatures of auditory looming bias show cue-specific adaptation between newborns and young adults","authors":"Karolina Ignatiadis, Diane Baier, Roberto Barumerli, István Sziller, Brigitta Tóth, Robert Baumgartner","doi":"10.1038/s44271-024-00105-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44271-024-00105-5","url":null,"abstract":"Adaptive biases in favor of approaching, or “looming”, sounds have been found across ages and species, thereby implicating the potential of their evolutionary origin and universal basis. The human auditory system is well-developed at birth, yet spatial hearing abilities further develop with age. To disentangle the speculated inborn, evolutionary component of the auditory looming bias from its learned counterpart, we collected high-density electroencephalographic data across human adults and newborns. As distance-motion cues we manipulated either the sound’s intensity or spectral shape, which is pinna-induced and thus prenatally inaccessible. Through cortical source localisation we demonstrated the emergence of the bias in both age groups at the level of Heschl’s gyrus. Adults exhibited the bias in both attentive and inattentive states; yet differences in amplitude and latency appeared based on attention and cue type. Contrary to the adults, in newborns the bias was elicited only through manipulations of intensity and not spectral cues. We conclude that the looming bias comprises innate components while flexibly incorporating the spatial cues acquired through lifelong exposure. The auditory looming bias, which makes approaching sounds more cognitively salient than receding sounds, was evoked in both newborns and adults using intensity cues. However, only adults responded to spectral cues.","PeriodicalId":501698,"journal":{"name":"Communications Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-024-00105-5.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141294992","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Creative problem-solving is central in daily life, yet its underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Restructuring (i.e., reorganization of problem-related representations) is considered one problem-solving mechanism and may lead to an abstract problem-related representation facilitating the solving of analogous problems. Here, we used network science methodology to estimate participants’ semantic memory networks (SemNets) before and after attempting to solve a riddle. Restructuring was quantified as the difference in SemNets metrics between pre- and post-solving phases. Our results provide initial evidence that problem-related SemNets restructuring may be associated with the successful solving of the riddle and, subsequently, an analogous one. Solution-relevant concepts and semantically remote concepts became more strongly related in solvers. Only changes in semantically remote concepts were instrumental in actively solving the riddle while changes in solution-relevant concepts may reflect a pre-exposure to the solution. Using SemNets to test for changes in semantic distances between riddle-related concepts shows that solving a riddle and an analogous one benefit from a restructuring of problem representation.
{"title":"Changes in semantic memory structure support successful problem-solving and analogical transfer","authors":"Théophile Bieth, Yoed N. Kenett, Marcela Ovando-Tellez, Alizée Lopez-Persem, Célia Lacaux, Marie Scuccimarra, Inès Maye, Jade Sénéchal, Delphine Oudiette, Emmanuelle Volle","doi":"10.1038/s44271-024-00100-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44271-024-00100-w","url":null,"abstract":"Creative problem-solving is central in daily life, yet its underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Restructuring (i.e., reorganization of problem-related representations) is considered one problem-solving mechanism and may lead to an abstract problem-related representation facilitating the solving of analogous problems. Here, we used network science methodology to estimate participants’ semantic memory networks (SemNets) before and after attempting to solve a riddle. Restructuring was quantified as the difference in SemNets metrics between pre- and post-solving phases. Our results provide initial evidence that problem-related SemNets restructuring may be associated with the successful solving of the riddle and, subsequently, an analogous one. Solution-relevant concepts and semantically remote concepts became more strongly related in solvers. Only changes in semantically remote concepts were instrumental in actively solving the riddle while changes in solution-relevant concepts may reflect a pre-exposure to the solution. Using SemNets to test for changes in semantic distances between riddle-related concepts shows that solving a riddle and an analogous one benefit from a restructuring of problem representation.","PeriodicalId":501698,"journal":{"name":"Communications Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"1-17"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-024-00100-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141292656","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-07DOI: 10.1038/s44271-024-00107-3
Melissa A. Lippold, Melissa Jenkins, Katherine B. Ehrlich, Soomi Lee, David M. Almeida
The experiences of family members are intertwined and the stressors of one family member may crossover to affect the wellbeing of others in the family as well. Prior studies have established that the stress experienced by one marital spouse can affect the wellbeing of their spouse and that parent stress can affect their children’s wellbeing. This study used daily diary data from 318 parent-youth dyads (Mean age parent = 41.34, adolescent = 13.18) to examine whether youth daily stressors (i.e., interpersonal conflicts and demands), were associated with parent wellbeing and cortisol levels. Parents report more negative affect, more physical symptoms (i.e., headaches/fatigue/stomach problems), and exhibit higher bedtime cortisol levels on days when youth experience stressors. These effects were consistent across different types of youth stressors, including parent, family, and non-family stressors. Youth stress may have important implications for parent wellbeing. Youth daily stress affects parents’ daily cortisol levels, mood, and physical health symptoms, indicating a crossover effect of adolescents’ daily stress on their parents’ wellbeing.
{"title":"Youth daily stressors predict their parents’ wellbeing","authors":"Melissa A. Lippold, Melissa Jenkins, Katherine B. Ehrlich, Soomi Lee, David M. Almeida","doi":"10.1038/s44271-024-00107-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44271-024-00107-3","url":null,"abstract":"The experiences of family members are intertwined and the stressors of one family member may crossover to affect the wellbeing of others in the family as well. Prior studies have established that the stress experienced by one marital spouse can affect the wellbeing of their spouse and that parent stress can affect their children’s wellbeing. This study used daily diary data from 318 parent-youth dyads (Mean age parent = 41.34, adolescent = 13.18) to examine whether youth daily stressors (i.e., interpersonal conflicts and demands), were associated with parent wellbeing and cortisol levels. Parents report more negative affect, more physical symptoms (i.e., headaches/fatigue/stomach problems), and exhibit higher bedtime cortisol levels on days when youth experience stressors. These effects were consistent across different types of youth stressors, including parent, family, and non-family stressors. Youth stress may have important implications for parent wellbeing. Youth daily stress affects parents’ daily cortisol levels, mood, and physical health symptoms, indicating a crossover effect of adolescents’ daily stress on their parents’ wellbeing.","PeriodicalId":501698,"journal":{"name":"Communications Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-024-00107-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141292657","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-06DOI: 10.1038/s44271-024-00102-8
Rachel Schlund, Emily M. Zitek
Past research indicates that people tend to react adversely to surveillance, but does it matter if advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence conduct surveillance rather than humans? Across four experiments (Study 1, N = 107; Study 2, N = 157; Study 3, N = 117; Study 4, N = 814), we examined how participants reacted to monitoring and evaluation by human or algorithmic surveillance when recalling instances of surveillance from their lives (Study 1), generating ideas (Studies 2 and 3), or imagining working in a call center (Study 4). Our results revealed that participants subjected to algorithmic (v. human) surveillance perceived they had less autonomy (Studies 1, 3, and 4), criticized the surveillance more (Studies 1-3), performed worse (Studies 2 and 3), and reported greater intentions to resist (Studies 1 and 4). Framing the purpose of the algorithmic surveillance as developmental, and thus informational, as opposed to evaluative, mitigated the perception of decreased autonomy and level of resistance (Study 4). When recalling or experiencing monitoring by algorithms rather than humans, people perceive lower autonomy and react more negatively. However, framing algorithmic surveillance as informational instead of evaluative mitigates this effect.
{"title":"Algorithmic versus human surveillance leads to lower perceptions of autonomy and increased resistance","authors":"Rachel Schlund, Emily M. Zitek","doi":"10.1038/s44271-024-00102-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44271-024-00102-8","url":null,"abstract":"Past research indicates that people tend to react adversely to surveillance, but does it matter if advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence conduct surveillance rather than humans? Across four experiments (Study 1, N = 107; Study 2, N = 157; Study 3, N = 117; Study 4, N = 814), we examined how participants reacted to monitoring and evaluation by human or algorithmic surveillance when recalling instances of surveillance from their lives (Study 1), generating ideas (Studies 2 and 3), or imagining working in a call center (Study 4). Our results revealed that participants subjected to algorithmic (v. human) surveillance perceived they had less autonomy (Studies 1, 3, and 4), criticized the surveillance more (Studies 1-3), performed worse (Studies 2 and 3), and reported greater intentions to resist (Studies 1 and 4). Framing the purpose of the algorithmic surveillance as developmental, and thus informational, as opposed to evaluative, mitigated the perception of decreased autonomy and level of resistance (Study 4). When recalling or experiencing monitoring by algorithms rather than humans, people perceive lower autonomy and react more negatively. However, framing algorithmic surveillance as informational instead of evaluative mitigates this effect.","PeriodicalId":501698,"journal":{"name":"Communications Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-024-00102-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141292663","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-05DOI: 10.1038/s44271-024-00106-4
Salman E. Qasim, Aarushi Deswal, Ignacio Saez, Xiaosi Gu
How our decisions impact our memories is not well understood. Reward prediction errors (RPEs), the difference between expected and obtained reward, help us learn to make optimal decisions-providing a signal that may influence subsequent memory. To measure this influence and how it might go awry in mood disorders, we recruited a large cohort of human participants to perform a decision-making task in which perceptually memorable stimuli were associated with probabilistic rewards, followed by a recognition test for those stimuli. Computational modeling revealed that positive RPEs enhanced both the accuracy of memory and the temporal efficiency of memory search, beyond the contribution of perceptual information. Critically, positive affect upregulated the beneficial effect of RPEs on memory. These findings demonstrate how affect selectively regulates the impact of RPEs on memory, providing a computational mechanism for biased memory in mood disorders. Incidental reward prediction errors associated with individual items during a decision-making period affect later memory accuracy and efficiency of the memory search. This association is modulated by individual differences in positive affect.
{"title":"Positive affect modulates memory by regulating the influence of reward prediction errors","authors":"Salman E. Qasim, Aarushi Deswal, Ignacio Saez, Xiaosi Gu","doi":"10.1038/s44271-024-00106-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44271-024-00106-4","url":null,"abstract":"How our decisions impact our memories is not well understood. Reward prediction errors (RPEs), the difference between expected and obtained reward, help us learn to make optimal decisions-providing a signal that may influence subsequent memory. To measure this influence and how it might go awry in mood disorders, we recruited a large cohort of human participants to perform a decision-making task in which perceptually memorable stimuli were associated with probabilistic rewards, followed by a recognition test for those stimuli. Computational modeling revealed that positive RPEs enhanced both the accuracy of memory and the temporal efficiency of memory search, beyond the contribution of perceptual information. Critically, positive affect upregulated the beneficial effect of RPEs on memory. These findings demonstrate how affect selectively regulates the impact of RPEs on memory, providing a computational mechanism for biased memory in mood disorders. Incidental reward prediction errors associated with individual items during a decision-making period affect later memory accuracy and efficiency of the memory search. This association is modulated by individual differences in positive affect.","PeriodicalId":501698,"journal":{"name":"Communications Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-024-00106-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141292659","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-03DOI: 10.1038/s44271-024-00091-8
Nicolas Yax, Hernán Anlló, Stefano Palminteri
In the present study, we investigate and compare reasoning in large language models (LLMs) and humans, using a selection of cognitive psychology tools traditionally dedicated to the study of (bounded) rationality. We presented to human participants and an array of pretrained LLMs new variants of classical cognitive experiments, and cross-compared their performances. Our results showed that most of the included models presented reasoning errors akin to those frequently ascribed to error-prone, heuristic-based human reasoning. Notwithstanding this superficial similarity, an in-depth comparison between humans and LLMs indicated important differences with human-like reasoning, with models’ limitations disappearing almost entirely in more recent LLMs’ releases. Moreover, we show that while it is possible to devise strategies to induce better performance, humans and machines are not equally responsive to the same prompting schemes. We conclude by discussing the epistemological implications and challenges of comparing human and machine behavior for both artificial intelligence and cognitive psychology. Some large language models show reasoning errors akin to humans in cognitive bias tasks. However, humans and models respond differently to prompting strategies, highlighting differences in cognitive processing.
{"title":"Studying and improving reasoning in humans and machines","authors":"Nicolas Yax, Hernán Anlló, Stefano Palminteri","doi":"10.1038/s44271-024-00091-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44271-024-00091-8","url":null,"abstract":"In the present study, we investigate and compare reasoning in large language models (LLMs) and humans, using a selection of cognitive psychology tools traditionally dedicated to the study of (bounded) rationality. We presented to human participants and an array of pretrained LLMs new variants of classical cognitive experiments, and cross-compared their performances. Our results showed that most of the included models presented reasoning errors akin to those frequently ascribed to error-prone, heuristic-based human reasoning. Notwithstanding this superficial similarity, an in-depth comparison between humans and LLMs indicated important differences with human-like reasoning, with models’ limitations disappearing almost entirely in more recent LLMs’ releases. Moreover, we show that while it is possible to devise strategies to induce better performance, humans and machines are not equally responsive to the same prompting schemes. We conclude by discussing the epistemological implications and challenges of comparing human and machine behavior for both artificial intelligence and cognitive psychology. Some large language models show reasoning errors akin to humans in cognitive bias tasks. However, humans and models respond differently to prompting strategies, highlighting differences in cognitive processing.","PeriodicalId":501698,"journal":{"name":"Communications Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"1-16"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-024-00091-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141246227","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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