Reward Counteracts Conflict Adaptation

• DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02470.x
• Publication Date: 2009-11-09T14:23:51Z
• Authors: Henk van Steenbergen; Guido P.H. Band; Bernhard Hommel
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Adolescent; 05 social sciences; Conflict, Psychological; Affect; Executive Function; Young Adult; Cognition; Reward; Adaptation, Psychological; Reaction Time; Humans; Female; 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences

The conflict-adaptation effect has been observed in several executive-control tasks and is thought to reflect an increase control, driven by experienced conflict. We hypothesized that if this adaptation originates from the aversive quality of conflict, it would be canceled out a positive, rewarding event. Subjects performed arrow flanker task with monetary gain or loss as arbitrary feedback between trials. As predicted, we found reduction conflict for trials which was followed gain. strength gain-induced modulation depend on subjects' motivation pursue reward, measured Behavioral Activation System Drive scale. Our findings demonstrate first time can strongly reduced reward contexts, suggesting compensate each other's effects, probably via changes dopamine levels.