The Effect of Ratio and Interval Training on Pavlovian-Instrumental Transfer in Mice
Open accessAbstract
Conditional stimuli (CS) that are paired with reward can be used to motivate instrumental responses. This process is called Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT). A recent study in rats suggested that habitual responses are particularly sensitive to the motivational effects of reward cues. The current experiments examined this idea using ratio and interval training in mice. Two groups of animals were trained to lever press for food pellets that were delivered on random ratio or random interval schedules. Devaluation tests revealed that interval training led to habitual responding while ratio training produced goal-directed actions. The presentation of CSs paired with reward led to positive transfer in both groups, however, the size of this effect was much larger in mice that were trained on interval schedules. This result suggests that habitual responses are more sensitive to the motivational influence of reward cues than goal-directed actions. The implications for neurobiological models of motivation and drug seeking behaviors are discussed.
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Pavlovian learning facilitates execution of operant behavior through Pavlovian-instrumental transfer, particularly when the response is habitual.
“Pavlovian learning is known to facilitates execution of operant behavior through Pavlovian-instrumental transfer, particularly when the response is habitual49,50.”
From Dissociable roles of prefrontal plasticity in decision-making strategy and execution of habitual behavior (2026) · cites this paper as [49]
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“Pavlovian learning is known to facilitates execution of operantbehaviorthroughPavlovian-instrumentaltransfer,particularly when the response is habitual 49,50 .”
- Authors
- Wiltgen, B. J., Sinclair, C., Lane, C., Barrows, F., Molina, M., & Chabanon-Hicks, C.
- Affiliations
- University of Virginia (US)
- Corresponding author
- Wiltgen, Brian J.
- Venue
- PLoS ONE
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science (PLoS)
- Published
- 2012-10-29
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- e48227
- ISSN
- 1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC3483270
- OpenAlex
- W1987327953
- Cited by
- 28
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 2
- FWCI
- 0.66
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (1r03da029165-01)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (R03DA029165-01, R03 DA029165)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Keywords
- Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer, ratio schedules, interval schedules, currency devaluation, habitual responding, goal-directed behavior, reward cues, motivation, drug-seeking behavior, mice
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Conditioning, Operant, Cues, Food, Habituation, Psychophysiologic, Male, Motivation, Reinforcement Schedule, Reward, Time Factors, Transfer, Psychology, Mice
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