Memory and preparedness in evaluative conditioning in a smell-taste paradigm. A registered report. Issue 5 (3rd July 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ruszpel, Borys; Gast, Anne
• Is Part Of: Cognition and emotion. Volume 34:Issue 5(2020)
• Page Start: 1068
• Page End: 1082
• Publication Date: 2020-07-03
• Subjects: Evaluative conditioning -- memory -- contingency awareness -- preparedness -- olfaction -- gustation; Cognition -- Periodicals; Emotions and cognition -- Periodicals; 155.413
• DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2020.1719982
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-9931

Abstract

ABSTRACT: We investigate two questions, (1) the relevance of memory for evaluative conditioning (EC) effects based on smell-taste pairings, and (2) the potential preparedness of smell-taste combinations for yielding EC effects. The relevance of memory for EC effects is a subject of intense research. The majority of studies that investigate the memory-EC relation use visual stimuli and typically show no or relatively small EC effects without memory. For smell-taste combinations, only a few studies exist, with mixed results regarding the role of memory in EC. The idea that there might be a preparedness of smell and taste pairings comes from classical conditioning studies showing preparedness in food aversion and from research on joint processing of smells and tastes. In Experiment 1, we report a conceptual replication of previous studies with smell-taste and picture-taste pairings. In this experiment, we found no evidence for memory-independent EC overall. In a pre-registered Experiment 2, we used a design with smells, pictures, tastes, and sounds to test the role of memory more conclusively and test the preparedness hypothesis for smell-taste pairings. The results support the preparedness hypothesis for smell-taste pairings in EC. Furthermore, as in Experiment 1, we did not find evidence for memory-independent EC.