Date of Award
2019
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Social Sciences
First Advisor
Cook, Peter
Area of Concentration
Psychology
Abstract
This thesis examines the representations of stimulus value that guide goal-directed behavior. Evidence is reviewed regarding the process by which stimuli acquire valence, and the affective and physiological events that underlie this process. “Reenactment accounts” - which hold that the representation of the value of a stimulus relies on the reenactment of the affective states that have been associated with the stimulus in the past - are then discussed. Using neuroimaging studies on the role of ventral prefrontal cortex in evaluation, and other evidence, an argument is made against these accounts. Finally, a study designed to test the importance of reenactment in evaluation is described. Participants completed a decision-making task based on the Iowa Gambling Task, while undergoing a breathing manipulation designed to influence affect through physiological feedback. The breathing manipulation did not produce the intended physiological effects; therefore, the results did not provide insight into the importance of reenactment. Issues with the breathing manipulation, and ways to resolve them, are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Parr, Daniel, "THE PERCEPTION OF VALUE: AFFECT, PHYSIOLOGY, AND THE ROLE OF REENACTMENT" (2019). Theses & ETDs. 5772.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/5772