A systematic breakdown of stimulus-response associations

刺激-反应（S-R）学习包括至少两种不同的关联。刺激与响应它的动作（例如，左手手指按压）和发生S-R事件的任务（通常是将刺激分类为属于一个类别）相关联。我们之前的研究表明，刺激-分类（S-C）和刺激-行动（S-A）关联对行为有独立的影响，重复学习增强了S-C和S-A关联，但S-C关联具有更持久的影响。然而，当参与者获得超出预期的奖励时，这种关联是相互依赖的（S-C-A学习）。我们还表明，S-R联想不仅在通过实施学习时形成，而且在仅仅通过指导学习时也会形成。在这个项目中，我们的目标是分解指导和实施S-R关联学习的基础过程。在A部分中，我们的目标是详细说明仅仅是指令是否也会导致独立的S-C和S-A关联的创建，以及这些关联是否类似于通过持久性和稳定性实现创建的关联。在第二部分中，我们提出了自上而下对S-R学习成分的影响的研究。B1部分调查了被指示和被实施的S-R关联的检索是否取决于它们被学习的语境和它们被检索的语境。B2部分旨在评估奖励在实施或指导S-R联想时的影响。在那里，我们分解了每个已知参数的影响，导致奖励期望的建立，对执行和指示的S-C-A关联，并质疑这些成分是由多巴胺能调节驱动的。因此，这一部分将定义S-R学习的哪些部分是真正由多巴胺驱动的。最后，由于奖励价值往往取决于社会环境，我们探讨了亲社会奖励对S-R联想习得的影响，无论是在指导下还是在训练下。我们期望这一结果将显著加深我们对联想驱动学习的理解。

Stimulus-response (S-R) learning comprises at least two different associations. A stimulus is associated to the action made in response to it (e.g., left finger press) and to the task in which the S-R event takes place (usually the classification of a stimulus as belonging to a category). Our previous work demonstrated that stimulus-classification (S-C) and stimulus-action (S-A) associations have independent effects on behaviour, that repetition learning strengthens both S-C and S-A associations, but S-C associations have more durable effects across time. However, such associations are interdependently processed (S-C-A learning), when participants receive rewards that exceed their expectations. We have also shown that S-R associations are formed not only when learning occurs through implementation but also through mere instruction. In this project we aim to break down the processes that underlie learning of both instructed and implemented S-R associations. In part A, we aim to elaborate whether mere instructions also result in the creation of independent S-C and S-A associations and whether these associations resemble those created via implementation regarding durability and stability. In part B, we propose an investigation of top-down influences on S-R learning components. Part B1 investigates whether retrieval of instructed and implemented S-R associations depends on the context in which they are learnt and on the context in which they are retrieved. Part B2 aims at assessing the impact of reward when implementing or instructing S-R associations. There we break down the impact of each parameter known to lead to the build-up of reward expectation, on implemented and instructed S-C-A associations and question which of these components are driven by dopaminergic modulations. Consequently, this part will define which parts of S-R learning are truly dopamine-driven. Finally, since reward value may often depend on social settings, we enquire on the effect of prosocial reward on the acquisition of S-R associations both when they are merely instructed and trained. We expect that the results will significantly further our understanding of association-driven learning.