Intelligence Predicts Sensory Discrimination Ability but Not Implicit Reward Learning

Abstract: Previous research has made use of sensory discrimination tasks that incorporate differential reinforcement schedules as a method for measuring individual differences in implicit reward learning. One such task was popularized by Pizzagalli and colleagues (2005) with the intent of behaviorally assessing anhedonia and reward sensitivity. Various studies have examined implicit reward learning in relation to clinical symptoms and personality traits, including anhedonia, depression, and Extraversion. Despite extensive use of these tasks, they have not been extensively examined in relation to intelligence, which affects performance on many cognitive tasks. Other research suggests positive associations of intelligence with sensory discrimination ability. The present study utilized a probabilistic reward task in a large community sample to determine the relations among IQ, sensory discrimination ability, and implicit reward learning. Participants ( N = 298) completed a sensory discrimination task, as well as an IQ test. IQ was not associated with participants’ levels of implicit reward learning but was positively associated with sensory discrimination ability. These findings provide a further understanding of the complex relations among implicit learning, sensory discrimination ability, and intelligence.