Affective learning as a higher psychological process: a microgenetic analysis of evaluative conditioning from a sociocultural approach (Aprendizaje afectivo como proceso psicológico superior: análisis microgenético del condicionamiento evaluativo desde un enfoque sociocultural)

Abstract. The present study is a first attempt to link self-reported difficulties in everyday emotion regulation (ER) with evaluative conditioning (EC). We conducted a within-subject study in which participants (n = 90) filled the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and were exposed to neutral conditioned stimulus (CS) paired with mildly or highly arousing negative unconditioned stimuli (USs) and positive USs. Participants then filled a contingency awareness measure. Results showed (i) that CSs paired with highly arousing negative USs were more negatively evaluated, (ii) that the EC effect with highly and mildly arousing negative USs was stronger among participants with greater self-reported difficulties in everyday ER. Moreover, participants were more likely to be aware of the CS-US contingencies with highly (vs. mildly) arousing negative USs. Implications for the understanding of maladaptive behaviors and for future directions in EC research are discussed.

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Secondary Transfer Effect of Contact

Social Psychology ◽

10.1027/1864-9335.40.2.55 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 40 (2) ◽

pp. 55-65 ◽

Cited By ~ 146

Author(s):

Thomas F. Pettigrew

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Dissonance ◽

Experimental Research ◽

Intergroup Contact ◽

Transfer Effect ◽

Evaluative Conditioning ◽

Transfer Effects ◽

Secondary Transfer ◽

Primary Reduction

This paper reviews the evidence for a secondary transfer effect of intergroup contact. Following a contact’s typical primary reduction in prejudice toward the outgroup involved in the contact, this effect involves a further, secondary reduction in prejudice toward noninvolved outgroups. Employing longitudinal German probability samples, we found that significant secondary transfer effects of intergroup contact exist, but they were limited to specific outgroups that are similar to the contacted outgroup in perceived stereotypes, status or stigma. Since the contact-prejudice link is bidirectional, the effect is inflated when prior prejudice reducing contact is not controlled. The strongest evidence derives from experimental research. Both cognitive (dissonance) and affective (evaluative conditioning) explanations for the effect are offered.

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On the Stability of Evaluative Conditioning Effects

Social Psychology ◽

10.1027/1864-9335/a000150 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 44 (6) ◽

pp. 380-389 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Sabine Förderer ◽

Christian Unkelbach

Keyword(s):

Evaluative Conditioning ◽

Indirect Measures ◽

The Stability ◽

Over Time

Evaluative conditioning (EC) refers to valence changes in neutral stimuli (CSs) through repeated pairing with liked or disliked stimuli (USs). The present study examined the stability of EC effects in the course of 1 week. We investigated how this stability depends on memory for US valence and US identity. We also investigated whether CSs evaluations occurring immediately after conditioning (i.e., evaluative consolidation) are necessary for stable EC effects. Participants showed stable EC effects on direct and indirect measures, independent of evaluations immediately after conditioning. EC effects depended on memory for US valence but not for US identity. And although memory decreased significantly over time, EC effects remained stable. These data suggest that evaluative consolidation is not necessary, and that conditioned preferences and attitudes might persist even when people do not remember the concrete source anymore.

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