We tested the notion that action observation engages learning processes and mnemonic representations overlapping with those engaged in actual performance. An identical number of training instances, actual performance, or observation, was afforded on a finger opposition sequence task. Both training modes resulted in immediate gains in performance,…

Stimuli conditioned with a substance can generate drug-approach behaviors due to their acquired motivational properties. According to implicit theories of addiction, these stimuli can decrease cognitive control automatically. The present study (n = 49) examined whether reward-associated stimuli can interfere with cognitive processes in the absence…

The infralimbic prefrontal cortex (IL) has been shown to be critical for the regulation of flexible behavior, but its precise function remains unclear. This region has been shown to be critical for the acquisition, consolidation, and expression of extinction learning, leading many to hypothesize that IL suppresses behavior as part of a…