Developmental Differences in Probabilistic Reversal Learning: A Computational Modeling Approach

Frontiers in Neuroscience, vol. 14, pp. 536596

Abstract

Cognitive flexibility helps us to navigate through our ever-changing environment and has often been examined by reversal learning paradigms. Performance in reversal learning can be modeled using computational modeling which allows for the specification of biologically plausible models to infer psychological mechanisms. Although such models are increasingly used in cognitive neuroscience, developmental approaches are still scarce. Additionally, though most reversal learning paradigms have a comparable design regarding timing and feedback contingencies, the type of feedback differs substantially between studies. The present study used hierarchical Gaussian filter modeling to investigate cognitive flexibility in reversal learning in children and adolescents and the effect of various feedback types. The results demonstrate that children make more overall errors and regressive errors (when a previously learned response rule is chosen instead of the new correct response after the initial shift to the new correct target), but less perseverative errors (when a previously learned response set continues to be used despite a reversal) adolescents. Analyses of the extracted model parameters of the winning model revealed that children seem to use new and conflicting information less readily than adolescents to update their stimulus-reward associations. Furthermore, more subclinical rigidity in everyday life (parent-ratings) is related to less explorative choice behavior during the probabilistic reversal learning task. Taken together, this study provides first-time data on the development of the underlying processes of cognitive flexibility using computational modeling.

Authors 5

1. Eileen Oberwelland Weiß corresponding Aachen Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Child Neuropsychology Section Translational Brain Research in Psychiatry and Neurology

   Universitätsklinikum Aachen · Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany

   Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany

   Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-11), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany

   Translational Brain Research in Psychiatry and Neurology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany

2. Gereon R. Fink

   Forschungszentrum Jülich · University Hospital Cologne

   Affiliation as printed

   Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany

   Department of Neurology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany

3. Beate Herpertz‐Dahlmann Aachen Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

   Universitätsklinikum Aachen

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany

4. Kerstin Konrad Aachen Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Child Neuropsychology Section

   Universitätsklinikum Aachen · Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany

   Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany

   Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-11), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany

5. Martin Schulte‐Rüther Aachen Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Child Neuropsychology Section Translational Brain Research in Psychiatry and Neurology

   Universitätsklinikum Aachen · Forschungszentrum Jülich · Universitätsmedizin Göttingen · University of Göttingen

   Affiliation as printed

   Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany

   Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany

   Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany

   Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-11), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany

   Translational Brain Research in Psychiatry and Neurology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany