Figure 1.
Task design. The learning and transfer task consisted of the following three phases: association phase, reward phase, and decision phase. A, In the association phase, participants viewed a series of four pairs of S1 and S2 face stimuli while performing a cover task. B, In the reward phase, participants learned that S2 stimuli led to monetary gain (S2+), monetary loss (S2−), or no outcome (S2=) through instrumental conditioning. C, In the decision phase, participants chose between pairs of S1 or pairs of S2 stimuli. The learning of directly reinforced associations (“conditioning”) was measured as participants' tendency to choose S2+ and to avoid S2−. Transfer was measured as participants' tendency to choose S1+ and to avoid S1−, reflecting the transfer of learned value from S2 to S1 stimuli.