Author: Dr. David Lowemann

The interoceptive origin of reinforcement learning

Rewards play a crucial role in sculpting all motivated behavior. Traditionally, research on reinforcement learning has centered on how rewards guide learning and decision-making. Here, we examine the origins of rewards themselves. Specifically, we discuss that the critical signal sustaining reinforcement for food is generated internally and subliminally during the process of digestion. As such, […]

Published on June 11, 2025

How Proposed Changes Will Affect Food Aid Programs

President Donald Trump’s plan to cut taxes by trillions of dollars could also trim billions in spending from social safety net programs, including food aid for lower-income people. The proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program would make states pick… Read Full Article (External Site) Dr. David LowemannDr. David Lowemann, M.Sc, Ph.D., is a […]

Published on June 11, 2025

Unlearning Incorrect Associations in Word Learning: Evidence From Eye‐Tracking

Abstract Computational and animal models suggest that the unlearning or pruning of incorrect meanings matters for word learning. However, it is currently unclear how such pruning occurs during word learning and to what extent it depends on supervised and unsupervised learning. In two experiments (N 1 = 40; N 2 = 42), adult participants first completed a pretraining, in […]

Published on June 11, 2025