Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.09.01.278168v1?rss=1 Authors: Banaie Boroujeni, K., Watson, M. R., Womelsdorf, T. Abstract: Visual attention involves both enhancing the processing of stimuli that may lead to reward and avoiding the processing of stimuli that may lead to loss. But compared to reward expectancy little is known how loss-avoidance mediates attention. One hypothesis holds that attention is more efficiently deployed when expecting larger gains and larger losses as both increase motivational saliency. Alternatively, expecting larger penalties might reduce attentional efficacy and loom larger than gains. Here, we tested these opposing views in four monkeys with a feature-token learning task that quantifies attentional efficacy by increasing distractor load from multidimensional objects. During learning the number of token rewards gained for correct choices and lost for incorrect choices were varied. We found that expecting larger gains improves attentional efficacy and learning speed as long as distractor load was low. In contrast, expecting larger losses impairs attentional efficacy and this impairment increases with distractor load and uncertainty about the relevance of visual features. These findings functionally dissociate the contributions of expecting gains and losses on attentional learning, suggesting that they operate via separate control pathways. One pathway is linked to avoiding loss by slowing down learning and disrupting attention non-selectively, while the second pathway enhances learning selectively for higher valued target features up to a limited distractor load. These results illustrate the strength and the limitation of motivational regulation of attentional efficacy during learning. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info