Value Associations Modulate Visual Attention and Response Selection

Learned cognitive control counteracts value-driven attentional capture

Stimuli formerly associated with monetary reward capture our attention, even if this attraction is contrary to current goals (so-called value-driven attentional capture [VDAC], see Anderson (Ann N Y Acad Sci 1369:24-39, 2016), for a review). Despite the growing literature to this topic, little is known about the boundary conditions for the occurrence of VDAC. In three experiments, we investigated the role of response conflicts and spatial uncertainty regarding the target location during the training and test phase for the emergence of value-driven effects. Thus, we varied the occurrence of a response conflict, search components, and the type of task in both phases. In the training, value-driven effects were rather observed if the location of the value-associated target was not predictable and a response conflict was present. Value-driven effects also only occurred, if participants have not learned to deal with a response conflict, yet. However, the introduction of a response conflict during learning of the color-value association seemed to prevent attention to be distracted by this feature in a subsequent test. The study provides new insights not only into the boundary conditions of the learning of value associations, but also into the learning of cognitive control.

A Smarter Pavlovian Dog with Optically Modulated Associative Learning in an Organic Ferroelectric Neuromem

Associative learning is a critical learning principle uniting discrete ideas and percepts to improve individuals' adaptability. However, enabling high tunability of the association processes as in biological counterparts and thus integration of multiple signals from the environment, ideally in a single device, is challenging. Here, we fabricate an organic ferroelectric neuromem capable of monadically implementing optically modulated associative learning. This approach couples the photogating effect at the interface with ferroelectric polarization switching, enabling highly tunable optical modulation of charge carriers. Our device acts as a smarter Pavlovian dog exhibiting adjustable associative learning with the training cycles tuned from thirteen to two. In particular, we obtain a large output difference (>103), which is very similar to the all-or-nothing biological sensory/motor neuron spiking with decrementless conduction. As proof-of-concept demonstrations, photoferroelectric coupling-based applications in cryptography and logic gates are achieved in a single device, indicating compatibility with biological and digital data processing.