About this Research Topic
The primary function of the Pavlovian instrumental transfer (PIT) paradigm is to elucidate how predictive information available in the environment influences the performance and selection of actions. In the past two decades, the literature on PIT has grown exponentially with significant progress made in describing its underlying psychological and neural mechanisms in both humans and other animals. Clinical studies have also started to demonstrate how PIT can be used to identify some of the factors contributing to various metabolic and cognitive diseases including obesity, substance abuse, anxiety disorders or schizophrenia. Together, these studies reveal the relative ease with which PIT can be implemented in multiple species to help understanding a fundamental decision-making process and how dysfunctions of this process can lead to maladaptive behaviors and promote human disorders.
In spite of these recent advances, much remains to be understood about the PIT paradigm. This Research Topic has three main goals. The first is to gather novel insights into the psychological mechanisms mediating PIT, emphasizing how distinct mechanisms promote distinct forms of PIT (e.g., general vs. specific PIT). The second goal is to enhance knowledge on the neural circuits underlying the distinct forms of PIT and the particular function(s) served by these circuits. Finally, the third goal is to add more evidence to the clinical relevance of using the PIT paradigm to understand various human disorders.
This Research Topic welcomes studies in animals and/or humans, and all types of articles such as original research articles, theoretical articles, review articles, mini reviews, opinion articles. Themes to be covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
- Behavioral investigations on appetitive or aversive PIT in animals and/or humans.
- Neural studies on appetitive or aversive PIT in animals and/or humans.
- Commonality between animal and human studies of PIT.
- The implication of PIT to our understanding of what is learned in Pavlovian and/or instrumental conditioning.
- The use of PIT to examine human disorders.
In spite of these recent advances, much remains to be understood about the PIT paradigm. This Research Topic has three main goals. The first is to gather novel insights into the psychological mechanisms mediating PIT, emphasizing how distinct mechanisms promote distinct forms of PIT (e.g., general vs. specific PIT). The second goal is to enhance knowledge on the neural circuits underlying the distinct forms of PIT and the particular function(s) served by these circuits. Finally, the third goal is to add more evidence to the clinical relevance of using the PIT paradigm to understand various human disorders.
This Research Topic welcomes studies in animals and/or humans, and all types of articles such as original research articles, theoretical articles, review articles, mini reviews, opinion articles. Themes to be covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
- Behavioral investigations on appetitive or aversive PIT in animals and/or humans.
- Neural studies on appetitive or aversive PIT in animals and/or humans.
- Commonality between animal and human studies of PIT.
- The implication of PIT to our understanding of what is learned in Pavlovian and/or instrumental conditioning.
- The use of PIT to examine human disorders.
Keywords: Pavlovian Instrumental Transfer; Pavlovian Conditioning; Instrumental Conditioning; Decision-making; Neural Circuits
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
