Don’t make a habit out of it : impaired learning conditions can make goal-directed behavior seem habitual

Habitual processes are often seen as the mechanisms underlying various suboptimal behaviors. Moors et al. (2017) challenged this view, arguing that the influence of goal-directed processes may be underestimated in explaining suboptimal behavior. Much evidence for habitual processes in humans comes from studies that used an outcome devaluation test within a task called the Fabulous Fruit Game (FFG; de Wit et al., 2007). In particular, poor performance on the FFG has been taken as evidence for increased reliance on habits. Recently, however, it was shown that the outcome devaluation test in the FFG targets the wrong outcome, which likely leads to an overestimation of habitual processes (De Houwer et al., 2018). We propose, in addition, that previous findings of differences in performance on the FFG do not reflect differences in habitual and goal-directed processing, but rather depend on differences in learning conditions such as task difficulty, and the opportunity, capacity, and motivation to learn the relevant contingencies. Our study shows that a lack of motivation leads to a pattern that would usually be interpreted as evidence for habits when in fact the behavior is goal-directed

The globalizability of temporal discounting

Economic inequality is associated with preferences for smaller, immediate gains over larger, delayed ones. Such temporal discounting may feed into rising global inequality, yet it is unclear whether it is a function of choice preferences or norms, or rather the absence of sufficient resources for immediate needs. It is also not clear whether these reflect true differences in choice patterns between income groups. We tested temporal discounting and five intertemporal choice anomalies using local currencies and value standards in 61 countries (N = 13,629). Across a diverse sample, we found consistent, robust rates of choice anomalies. Lower-income groups were not significantly different, but economic inequality and broader financial circumstances were clearly correlated with population choice patterns

Poor Reliability and Validity of Habit Effects in Substance Use and Novel Insights from a Goal-Directed Perspective

Substance use remains a pressing societal concern, with significant ramifications for public health, economics, and social well-being. The habit theory offers an influential explanation for problematic substance use but lacks a solid empirical grounding. To support this contention, we first review the main assumptions and predictions of the habit theory before emphasizing concerns regarding reliability, interpretability, and ecological validity of the supporting experimental evidence. We highlight a major challenge for this theory, which is to explain the complexity of substance use, specifically, heterogeneity in consumption patterns, risk factors, and intervention strategies. What is needed is a psychological theory that can simultaneously explain this heterogeneity and the motivational strength underlying substance use behaviors. We propose to address this gap by applying the goal-directed theory of Moors et al. [1] to substance use. Drawing upon this theory, we identify several factors that may contribute to substance use and argue that it provides a more compelling synthesis of the empirical evidence that has formed the foundation of the habit theory. By offering a nuanced understanding of substance use, this alternative framework allows for a better explanation of its complexity and individual variations. Furthermore, the proposed shift from the habit theory to the goal-directed theory has significant implications for intervention strategies

The persuasive power of knowledge: Testing the confidence heuristic.

status: publishe

A Value Accumulation Account of Unhealthy Food Choices: Testing the Influence of Outcome Salience Under Varying Time Constraints

People often engage in unhealthy eating despite having an explicit goal to follow a healthy diet, especially under certain conditions such as a lack of time. A promising explanation from the value accumulation account is that food choices are based on the sequential consideration of the values of multiple outcomes, such as health and taste outcomes. Unhealthy choices may result if taste is considered before health. We examined whether making a health outcome more salient could alter this order, thereby leading to more healthy choices even under time pressure. Two studies examined the time-dependent effect of outcome values and salience on food choices. Participants first completed priming trials on which they rated food items on healthiness (health condition), tastiness (taste condition), or both healthiness and tastiness (control condition). They then completed blocks of binary choice trials between healthy and tasty items. The available response time was manipulated continuously in Study 1 (N = 161) and categorically in Study 2 (N = 318). As predicted, results showed that the values of health and taste outcomes influenced choices and that priming led to more choices in line with the primed outcomes even when time was scarce. We did not obtain support for the prediction that the priming effect is time-dependent in the sense that primed outcomes are considered before non-primed outcomes. Together, these findings suggest that increasing the value and salience of a health outcome may be effective ways to increase healthy choices, even under poor conditions such as time pressure

Don't make a habit out of it: Impaired learning conditions can make goal-directed behavior seem habitual

status: accepte

On the interplay between stimulus-driven and goal-directed processes in the decision to fight or flee

Traditional dual-process models assume that stimulus-driven processes are responsible for early emotional action tendencies and that goal-directed processes step in at a later stage to refine or correct these action tendencies. In contrast to this, a recent, alternative dual-process model proposes that goal-directed processes operate in parallel with stimulus-driven processes at an early stage, that they enter in competition with the stimulus-driven processes, and that they defeat stimulus-driven processes in most cases. Recent studies found evidence that goal-directed processes can indeed determine early action tendencies, but they did not show whether the process indeed entered in competition with a stimulus-driven process. The aim of the current study was to examine whether a goal-directed process can determine early action tendencies when in competition with a stimulus-driven process. To test this, we first conducted two experiments to establish the operation of a stimulus-driven process and we conducted a third experiment in which the stimulus-driven process was pitted against a goal-directed process. Action tendencies were measured with implicit measures (i.e., facilitation of instructed responses). The first two experiments provided support for the operation of a stimulus-driven process in which negative valence elicits a tendency to fight. The third experiment suggested that the goal-directed process indeed operated in parallel with the stimulus-driven process, but not that the goal-directed process was able to literally defeat the stimulus-driven process

A Goal-Directed Account of Action Slips: The Reliance on Old Contingencies

People often keep engaging in behaviors that used to be successful in the past but which are knowingly no longer effective in the current situation, so called action slips. Such action slips are often explained with stimulus-driven processes in which behavior is caused by a stimulus-response association and without information about the outcome of the behavior. This process is contrasted with a goal-directed process in which behavior is selected because it is expected to lead to a desired outcome. Failing to act in line with changes in the outcome, is taken as evidence for stimulus-driven processes. Stimulus-driven processes are assumed to get installed after overtraining and to be deployed under poor operating conditions. In line with this, previous research has found that action slips are more likely to occur after extensive training and when under time pressure. We propose an alternative goal-directed explanation according to which action slips are not caused by a stimulus-driven process, but rather by a goal-directed process that relies on old, no longer accurate, outcome information. In the current study, participants learned four stimulus-response-outcome contingencies during a single (i.e., moderate training) or a four-day training schedule (i.e., extensive training). Afterwards two contingencies were reversed. Results show that after extensive training and when under time pressure, participants not only committed more action slips but also reported more old response-outcome contingencies in line with these action slips. This is consistent with the goal-directed explanation that action slips result from a reliance on old, no longer accurate outcome information

A goal-directed account of action slips : the reliance on old contingencies

People often keep engaging in behaviors that used to be successful in the past but which are knowingly no longer effective in the current situation, so called action slips. Such action slips are often explained with stimulus-driven processes in which behavior is caused by a stimulus- response association and without information about the outcome of the behavior. This process is contrasted with a goal-directed process in which behavior is selected because it is expected to lead to a desired outcome. Failing to act in line with changes in the outcome, is taken as evidence for stimulus-driven processes. Stimulus-driven processes are assumed to get installed after overtraining and to be deployed under poor operating conditions. In line with this, previous research has found that action slips are more likely to occur after extensive training and when under time pressure. We propose an alternative goal-directed explanation according to which action slips are caused by a goal-directed process that relies on old, no longer accurate, outcome information. In the current study, participants learned four stimulus- response-outcome contingencies during a single (i.e., moderate training) or a four-day training schedule (i.e., extensive training). Afterwards two contingencies were reversed and performance was assessed under time pressure. Results show that after extensive training, participants not only committed more action slips but also reported more old response- outcome contingencies in line with these action slips. This is consistent with the goal-directed explanation that action slips result from a reliance on old, no longer accurate outcome information