Intolerance of uncertainty modulates the insensitivity to reinforcer devaluation found in an avoidance task

The reinforcer devaluation paradigm has been regarded as a canonical paradigm to detect habit-like behavior in animal and human instrumental learning. Though less studied, avoidance situations set a scenario where habit-like behavior may be of great experimental and clinical interest. On the other hand, proactive intolerance of uncertainty has been shown as a factor facilitating responses in uncertain situations. Thus, avoidance situations in which uncertainty is favoured, may be taken as a relevant paradigm to examine the role of intolerance of uncertainty as a facilitatory factor for habit-like behavior to occur. In our experiment we used a free-operant discriminative avoidance procedure to implement a devaluation paradigm. Participants learned to avoid an aversive noise presented either to the right or to the left ear by pressing two different keys. After a devaluation phase where the volume of one of the noises was reduced, they went through a test phase identical to the avoidance phase except for the fact that the noise was never administered. Sensitivity to reinforcer devaluation was examined by comparing the response rate to the cue associated to the devalued reinforcer with that to the cue associated to the still aversive reinforcer. The results showed that intolerance of uncertainty was positively associated to insensitivity to reinforcer devaluation. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and clinical implications of the habit-like behavior obtained in our avoidance procedure.

La construcción social del género en la cultura musical pop: una oportunidad para abordar el sexismo en la educación superior.

Nuestro trabajo tiene como principal objetivo explicar los problemas detectados en el futuro profesorado en relación al desconocimiento y/o a la distorsión del movimiento feminista y los debates en torno al género, que tienen relación directa en ocasiones con la imagen proyectada de mujeres y hombres en los medios de comunicación. Para paliar estas deficiencias, así como para promover la alfabetización mediática entre el alumnado, hemos optado por incorporar a los contenidos de las distintas asignaturas del área de Didáctica de las Ciencias Sociales, tanto de grado como máster, la lectura y la interpretación de textos audiovisuales, concretamente aquellos producidos por la industria musical hegemónica estadounidense, los vídeos musicales de las cantantes pop más seguidas actualmente como Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Meghan Trainor, Jennifer López, Alicia Keys y el grupo Fifth Harmony. De este modo, incorporamos no sólo alta cultura sino también la cultura musical pop o cultura mediática, esencial en una sociedad en la que la ciudadanía está continuamente expuesta y contaminada visualmente por dichos medios audiovisuales

Intolerance of uncertainty predisposes to avoidance habit acquisition

Many mental disorders are characterised by the presence of compulsions and incontrollable habits. Most studies on habit learning, both in animals and in humans, are based on positive reinforcement paradigms. However, the compulsions and habits involved in some mental disorders may be better understood as avoidance behaviours, which involve some peculiarities, such as anxiety states, that have been shown to promote habitual responses. Consequently, we studied habit acquisition by using a free-operant discriminated avoidance procedure. Furthermore, we checked whether intolerance of uncertainty could predispose to avoidance habit acquisition. Participants learned to avoid an aversive noise presented either to the right or to the left ear by pressing two different keys. After a devaluation phase where the volume of the noise presented to one of the ears was reduced, participants went through a test phase identical to the avoidance learning phase except for the fact that the noise was never administered. Habit acquisition was inferred by comparing the rate of responses to the stimulus signalling the devalued reinforcer and to the stimulus signalling the non-devalued reinforcer. The results showed that intolerance of uncertainty was related to the absence of differences between the referred conditions, which entail avoidance habit acquisition.