Lindsay S. Shaffer
@lindsayshaffer.bsky.social
postdoc fellow at NIH NIDA investigating inference-based decision making and olfactory functioning.
EEG & RewP aficionado currently dabbling with MRI.
EEG & RewP aficionado currently dabbling with MRI.
November 17, 2025 at 9:50 PM
at least I found the perfect readers
November 12, 2025 at 7:30 PM
at least I found the perfect readers
kindred spirit 😭
November 1, 2025 at 2:43 AM
kindred spirit 😭
I wonder how much Kandel’s stance has changed. during my postbac, I saw a talk by Kandel proposing that science and art fundamentally ask the same questions but answer them differently & dialogue between the two drives innovation. he even wrote a book about it!
October 15, 2025 at 2:52 PM
I wonder how much Kandel’s stance has changed. during my postbac, I saw a talk by Kandel proposing that science and art fundamentally ask the same questions but answer them differently & dialogue between the two drives innovation. he even wrote a book about it!
which one of you drew these cute EEG onion people
September 29, 2025 at 5:53 PM
which one of you drew these cute EEG onion people
who needs a diploma when you can have a belt instead??
anyways, i have a phd now and i'll have a baby boy in 9 weeks
anyways, i have a phd now and i'll have a baby boy in 9 weeks
July 31, 2025 at 12:28 AM
who needs a diploma when you can have a belt instead??
anyways, i have a phd now and i'll have a baby boy in 9 weeks
anyways, i have a phd now and i'll have a baby boy in 9 weeks
the job market
June 2, 2025 at 2:18 PM
the job market
No surprise I read this excellent write-up immediately. Q: when saying the cue itself becomes the new goal, are you suggesting the possibility that the cue obtains value independent of the outcome it predicts? Or something else?
May 14, 2025 at 2:23 PM
No surprise I read this excellent write-up immediately. Q: when saying the cue itself becomes the new goal, are you suggesting the possibility that the cue obtains value independent of the outcome it predicts? Or something else?
One of the best academic books of all time.
April 23, 2025 at 6:31 PM
One of the best academic books of all time.
>ending experiment marathon bender for the week
>beginning toddler birthday holiday combo marathon bender this weekend
>beginning toddler birthday holiday combo marathon bender this weekend
April 18, 2025 at 11:26 PM
>ending experiment marathon bender for the week
>beginning toddler birthday holiday combo marathon bender this weekend
>beginning toddler birthday holiday combo marathon bender this weekend
decision: Accept with Minor Revisions
April 16, 2025 at 10:12 PM
decision: Accept with Minor Revisions
To our surprise, analyzing RewP resposes pre vs post-satiety using an a priori selection of time windows reveal no significant differences! This suggests the RewP is devaluation-insensitive despite participants showing devaluation-sensitive behavior.
(11/15)
(11/15)
April 4, 2025 at 5:00 PM
To our surprise, analyzing RewP resposes pre vs post-satiety using an a priori selection of time windows reveal no significant differences! This suggests the RewP is devaluation-insensitive despite participants showing devaluation-sensitive behavior.
(11/15)
(11/15)
Exploratory analyses of switch-stay responses of door choices also suggest sensory-specific adjustments in behavior during the post-satiety task. This is interesting bc 1) outcomes of door choices were random, & 2) adjustments during post-satiety required inference!
(10/15)
(10/15)
April 4, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Exploratory analyses of switch-stay responses of door choices also suggest sensory-specific adjustments in behavior during the post-satiety task. This is interesting bc 1) outcomes of door choices were random, & 2) adjustments during post-satiety required inference!
(10/15)
(10/15)
We found decreased hunger + self-report measures of pleasantness & desirability, suggesting these changes weren't a reduction of general motivational states but specific to the reinforcer consumed. These findings align with prior devaluation effects reported in humans.
(9/15)
(9/15)
April 4, 2025 at 5:00 PM
We found decreased hunger + self-report measures of pleasantness & desirability, suggesting these changes weren't a reduction of general motivational states but specific to the reinforcer consumed. These findings align with prior devaluation effects reported in humans.
(9/15)
(9/15)
To test this, we modified a Doors Task to incorporate Pavlovian learning of S-Os in a single session with hungry participants (n=31) eating one of the foods between tasks. Crucially, feedback presented in the post-satiety task was under extinction.
(8/15)
(8/15)
April 4, 2025 at 5:00 PM
To test this, we modified a Doors Task to incorporate Pavlovian learning of S-Os in a single session with hungry participants (n=31) eating one of the foods between tasks. Crucially, feedback presented in the post-satiety task was under extinction.
(8/15)
(8/15)
Recent proposals suggest the RewP is sensitive to subjective preferences and modulated by internal state. While these findings suggest a role in using inference relevant for adaptive behavior, this idea has never been empirically tested.
(7/15)
(7/15)
April 4, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Recent proposals suggest the RewP is sensitive to subjective preferences and modulated by internal state. While these findings suggest a role in using inference relevant for adaptive behavior, this idea has never been empirically tested.
(7/15)
(7/15)
One candidate is the Reward Positivity (RewP), a frontocentral EEG component occurring ~250-350 ms post-feedback & reflective of reward receipt. The precise circumstances to which the RewP is modulated via reward processing is unclear.
(6/15)
(6/15)
April 4, 2025 at 5:00 PM
One candidate is the Reward Positivity (RewP), a frontocentral EEG component occurring ~250-350 ms post-feedback & reflective of reward receipt. The precise circumstances to which the RewP is modulated via reward processing is unclear.
(6/15)
(6/15)
S-Os are then tested under extinction. Any changes in cue responses requires inferring the S-O pairing in order to access its current reward value.
We know devaluation effects require the OFC & BLA, but the timing of processing of inferences is unclear.
(5/15)
We know devaluation effects require the OFC & BLA, but the timing of processing of inferences is unclear.
(5/15)
April 4, 2025 at 5:00 PM
S-Os are then tested under extinction. Any changes in cue responses requires inferring the S-O pairing in order to access its current reward value.
We know devaluation effects require the OFC & BLA, but the timing of processing of inferences is unclear.
(5/15)
We know devaluation effects require the OFC & BLA, but the timing of processing of inferences is unclear.
(5/15)
One way to measure this is using the reinforcer devaluation paradigm from Pavlovian conditioning. After learning S-O associations between 2 distinct but similar reinforcers, the value of 1 of those reinforcers is decreased via satiety.
(4/15)
(4/15)
April 4, 2025 at 5:00 PM
One way to measure this is using the reinforcer devaluation paradigm from Pavlovian conditioning. After learning S-O associations between 2 distinct but similar reinforcers, the value of 1 of those reinforcers is decreased via satiety.
(4/15)
(4/15)
chaos aside, that map kinda aligns with the 100th Meridian
March 29, 2025 at 2:46 AM
chaos aside, that map kinda aligns with the 100th Meridian
if this was ever spoken out loud, i will make the claim and say it is impossible to finish this sentence without keeping both hands still.
March 28, 2025 at 8:23 PM
if this was ever spoken out loud, i will make the claim and say it is impossible to finish this sentence without keeping both hands still.
love reading a paper alluding to ethical use of AI at the graduate level yet publishing a very misleading figure about a n.s. interaction effect
March 28, 2025 at 8:14 PM
love reading a paper alluding to ethical use of AI at the graduate level yet publishing a very misleading figure about a n.s. interaction effect
why can't all grant submission confirmations be like this one
February 5, 2025 at 9:25 PM
why can't all grant submission confirmations be like this one