Reversal Learning Task¶
HED Task ID: hedtsk_reversal_learning
Also known as: PRL, Probabilistic Reversal Learning
After initial stimulus-reward learning, the contingencies switch; perseveration and reversal speed index behavioral flexibility.
Description¶
Participants learn a stimulus-outcome association (e.g., stimulus A is rewarded, B is not), then contingencies are reversed. Participants must flexibly adapt their behavior to the new associations. Performance measures include trials to criterion and perseverative errors (continued selection of the previously rewarded stimulus). The task can use deterministic or probabilistic contingencies. Neuroimaging consistently implicates the orbitofrontal cortex and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex in reversal learning, particularly for updating stimulus-outcome associations based on feedback.
Inclusion test¶
Procedure |
Participants learn to choose the rewarded stimulus over an unrewarded one. After reaching criterion, contingencies reverse — the previously correct stimulus becomes incorrect and vice versa. |
Manipulation |
Number of reversals; deterministic vs. probabilistic feedback; stimulus discriminability; serial vs. spatial reversals. |
Measurement |
Errors to criterion on initial discrimination and on reversals; perseverative errors (continuing to choose previously correct stimulus); reversal cost. |
Variations¶
Variation |
Description |
Justification |
|---|---|---|
Deterministic Reversal |
100% contingencies; clear-cut reward/punishment signals. |
Contingency fully reverses; canonical reversal learning |
Probabilistic Reversal |
80/20 or 70/30 contingencies; requires integration over multiple trials. |
Stochastic contingency reversal; different uncertainty structure |
Serial Reversal |
Multiple reversals within session; learning-to-learn effects. |
Multiple reversals in sequence; tests reversal learning rate |
Stimulus-Outcome vs. Action-Outcome Reversal |
Reversal of what (stimulus) vs. where (response location). |
Reversal of stimulus or action contingency; different associative structure |
Multi-Dimensional Reversal |
Stimuli vary on multiple dimensions; only one dimension relevant for reversal. |
Reversal involves change in relevant stimulus dimension; more complex |
Reward vs. Punishment Reversal |
Asymmetric effects of positive vs. negative feedback on reversal. |
Valence manipulation changes learning signal |
Cognitive processes¶
This task engages the following cognitive processes:
Key references¶
{‘authors’: ‘Dias, R., Robbins, T. W., & Roberts, A. C.’, ‘year’: 1996, ‘title’: ‘Dissociation in prefrontal cortex of affective and attentional shifts’, ‘venue’: ‘Nature’, ‘venue_type’: ‘journal’, ‘journal’: ‘Nature’, ‘volume’: ‘380’, ‘issue’: ‘6569’, ‘pages’: ‘69-72’, ‘doi’: ‘10.1038/380069a0’, ‘openalex_id’: None, ‘pmid’: None, ‘citation_string’: ‘Dias, R., Robbins, T. W., & Roberts, A. C. (1996). Dissociation in prefrontal cortex of affective and attentional shifts. Nature, 380(6569), 69-72.’, ‘url’: ‘https://doi.org/10.1038/380069a0’, ‘source’: ‘crossref’, ‘confidence’: ‘high’, ‘verified_on’: ‘2026-04-20’}
{‘authors’: ‘Cools, R., Clark, L., Owen, A. M., & Robbins, T. W.’, ‘year’: 2002, ‘title’: ‘Defining the Neural Mechanisms of Probabilistic Reversal Learning Using Event-Related Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging’, ‘venue’: ‘The Journal of Neuroscience’, ‘venue_type’: ‘journal’, ‘journal’: ‘The Journal of Neuroscience’, ‘volume’: ‘22’, ‘issue’: ‘11’, ‘pages’: ‘4563-4567’, ‘doi’: ‘10.1523/jneurosci.22-11-04563.2002’, ‘openalex_id’: None, ‘pmid’: None, ‘citation_string’: ‘Cools, R., Clark, L., Owen, A. M., & Robbins, T. W. (2002). Defining the neural mechanisms of probabilistic reversal learning using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging. Journal of Neuroscience, 22(11), 4563-4567.’, ‘url’: ‘https://doi.org/10.1523/jneurosci.22-11-04563.2002’, ‘source’: ‘crossref’, ‘confidence’: ‘high’, ‘verified_on’: ‘2026-04-20’}
Recent references¶
{‘authors’: ‘Izquierdo, A., Brigman, J., Radke, A., Rudebeck, P., & Holmes, A.’, ‘year’: 2017, ‘title’: ‘The neural basis of reversal learning: An updated perspective’, ‘venue’: ‘Neuroscience’, ‘venue_type’: ‘journal’, ‘journal’: ‘Neuroscience’, ‘volume’: ‘345’, ‘issue’: None, ‘pages’: ‘12-26’, ‘doi’: ‘10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.03.021’, ‘openalex_id’: None, ‘pmid’: None, ‘citation_string’: ‘Izquierdo, A., Brigman, J. L., Bhatt, D. K., et al. (2017). The neural basis of reversal learning: An updated perspective. Neuroscience, 345, 12–26.’, ‘url’: ‘https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.03.021’, ‘source’: ‘crossref’, ‘confidence’: ‘high’, ‘verified_on’: ‘2026-04-20’}
{‘authors’: ‘den\xa0Ouden, H. E., Daw, N. D., Fernandez, G., Elshout, J. A., Rijpkema, M., Hoogman, M., Franke, B., & Cools, R.’, ‘year’: 2013, ‘title’: ‘Dissociable Effects of Dopamine and Serotonin on Reversal Learning’, ‘venue’: ‘Neuron’, ‘venue_type’: ‘journal’, ‘journal’: ‘Neuron’, ‘volume’: ‘80’, ‘issue’: ‘4’, ‘pages’: ‘1090-1100’, ‘doi’: ‘10.1016/j.neuron.2013.08.030’, ‘openalex_id’: None, ‘pmid’: None, ‘citation_string’: ‘den Ouden, H. E. M., Daw, N. D., Fernandez, G., et al. (2013). Dissociable effects of dopamine and serotonin on reversal learning. Neuron, 80(4), 1090–1100.’, ‘url’: ‘https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2013.08.030’, ‘source’: ‘crossref’, ‘confidence’: ‘high’, ‘verified_on’: ‘2026-04-20’}
{‘authors’: ‘Schlagenhauf, F., Huys, Q. J., Deserno, L., Rapp, M. A., Beck, A., Heinze, H., Dolan, R., & Heinz, A.’, ‘year’: 2014, ‘title’: ‘Striatal dysfunction during reversal learning in unmedicated schizophrenia patients’, ‘venue’: ‘NeuroImage’, ‘venue_type’: ‘journal’, ‘journal’: ‘NeuroImage’, ‘volume’: ‘89’, ‘issue’: None, ‘pages’: ‘171-180’, ‘doi’: ‘10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.11.034’, ‘openalex_id’: None, ‘pmid’: None, ‘citation_string’: ‘Schlagenhauf, F., Huys, Q. J. M., Deserno, L., Rapp, M. A., Beck, A., Heinze, H. J., Dolan, R., & Heinz, A. (2014). Striatal dysfunction during reversal learning in unmedicated schizophrenia patients. NeuroImage, 89, 171–180.’, ‘url’: ‘https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.11.034’, ‘source’: ‘crossref’, ‘confidence’: ‘high’, ‘verified_on’: ‘2026-04-20’}
{‘authors’: ‘Costa, V. D., Tran, V. L., Turchi, J., & Averbeck, B. B.’, ‘year’: 2015, ‘title’: ‘Reversal Learning and Dopamine: A Bayesian Perspective’, ‘venue’: ‘The Journal of Neuroscience’, ‘venue_type’: ‘journal’, ‘journal’: ‘The Journal of Neuroscience’, ‘volume’: ‘35’, ‘issue’: ‘6’, ‘pages’: ‘2407-2416’, ‘doi’: ‘10.1523/jneurosci.1989-14.2015’, ‘openalex_id’: None, ‘pmid’: None, ‘citation_string’: ‘Costa, V. D., Tran, V. L., Turchi, J., & Averbeck, B. B. (2015). Reversal learning and dopamine: A Bayesian perspective. Journal of Neuroscience, 35(6), 2407–2416.’, ‘url’: ‘https://doi.org/10.1523/jneurosci.1989-14.2015’, ‘source’: ‘crossref’, ‘confidence’: ‘high’, ‘verified_on’: ‘2026-04-20’}