diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/association.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/association.rb
index a3a43e36ef..c23522725c 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/association.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/association.rb
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
 
         # Returns true if record contains the foreign_key
         def foreign_key_for?(record)
-          record._has_attribute?(reflection.foreign_key.to_s)
+          record._has_attribute?(reflection.foreign_key)
         end
 
         # This should be implemented to return the values of the relevant key(s) on the owner,
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/autosave_association.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/autosave_association.rb
index e025a57a1f..49fb08befb 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/autosave_association.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/autosave_association.rb
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
       def association_foreign_key_changed?(reflection, record, key)
         return false if reflection.through_reflection?
 
-        record._has_attribute?(reflection.foreign_key.to_s) && record._read_attribute(reflection.foreign_key) != key
+        record._has_attribute?(reflection.foreign_key) && record._read_attribute(reflection.foreign_key) != key
       end
 
       # Saves the associated record if it's new or <tt>:autosave</tt> is enabled.
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/reflection.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/reflection.rb
index 78737475f2..326d92081f 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/reflection.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/reflection.rb
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
       # <tt>composed_of :balance, class_name: 'Money'</tt> returns <tt>'Money'</tt>
       # <tt>has_many :clients</tt> returns <tt>'Client'</tt>
       def class_name
-        @class_name ||= (options[:class_name] || derive_class_name).to_s
+        @class_name ||= -(options[:class_name]&.to_s || derive_class_name)
       end
 
       JoinKeys = Struct.new(:key, :foreign_key) # :nodoc:
@@ -218,14 +218,14 @@ module ActiveRecord
       end
 
       def counter_cache_column
-        if belongs_to?
+        @counter_cache_column ||= if belongs_to?
           if options[:counter_cache] == true
-            "#{active_record.name.demodulize.underscore.pluralize}_count"
+            -"#{active_record.name.demodulize.underscore.pluralize}_count"
           elsif options[:counter_cache]
-            options[:counter_cache].to_s
+            -options[:counter_cache].to_s
           end
         else
-          options[:counter_cache] ? options[:counter_cache].to_s : "#{name}_count"
+          -(options[:counter_cache]&.to_s || "#{name}_count")
         end
       end
 
@@ -432,8 +432,8 @@ module ActiveRecord
 
       def initialize(name, scope, options, active_record)
         super
-        @type         = options[:as] && (options[:foreign_type] || "#{options[:as]}_type")
-        @foreign_type = options[:polymorphic] && (options[:foreign_type] || "#{name}_type")
+        @type = -(options[:foreign_type]&.to_s || "#{options[:as]}_type") if options[:as]
+        @foreign_type = -(options[:foreign_type]&.to_s || "#{name}_type") if options[:polymorphic]
         @constructable = calculate_constructable(macro, options)
 
         if options[:class_name] && options[:class_name].class == Class
@@ -454,24 +454,28 @@ module ActiveRecord
       end
 
       def join_table
-        @join_table ||= options[:join_table] || derive_join_table
+        @join_table ||= -(options[:join_table]&.to_s || derive_join_table)
       end
 
       def foreign_key
-        @foreign_key ||= options[:foreign_key] || derive_foreign_key.freeze
+        @foreign_key ||= -(options[:foreign_key]&.to_s || derive_foreign_key)
       end
 
       def association_foreign_key
-        @association_foreign_key ||= options[:association_foreign_key] || class_name.foreign_key
+        @association_foreign_key ||= -(options[:association_foreign_key]&.to_s || class_name.foreign_key)
       end
 
       # klass option is necessary to support loading polymorphic associations
       def association_primary_key(klass = nil)
-        options[:primary_key] || primary_key(klass || self.klass)
+        if primary_key = options[:primary_key]
+          @association_primary_key ||= -primary_key.to_s
+        else
+          primary_key(klass || self.klass)
+        end
       end
 
       def active_record_primary_key
-        @active_record_primary_key ||= options[:primary_key] || primary_key(active_record)
+        @active_record_primary_key ||= -(options[:primary_key]&.to_s || primary_key(active_record))
       end
 
       def check_validity!
@@ -872,7 +876,11 @@ module ActiveRecord
       def association_primary_key(klass = nil)
         # Get the "actual" source reflection if the immediate source reflection has a
         # source reflection itself
-        actual_source_reflection.options[:primary_key] || primary_key(klass || self.klass)
+        if primary_key = actual_source_reflection.options[:primary_key]
+          @association_primary_key ||= -primary_key.to_s
+        else
+          primary_key(klass || self.klass)
+        end
       end
 
       # Gets an array of possible <tt>:through</tt> source reflection names in both singular and plural form.
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation.rb
index e06c347cc8..3c043fccef 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation.rb
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
     # last updated record.
     #
     #   Product.where("name like ?", "%Game%").cache_key(:last_reviewed_at)
-    def cache_key(timestamp_column = :updated_at)
+    def cache_key(timestamp_column = "updated_at")
       @cache_keys ||= {}
       @cache_keys[timestamp_column] ||= klass.collection_cache_key(self, timestamp_column)
     end
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder/association_query_value.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder/association_query_value.rb
index 88cd71cf69..d56f736f20 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder/association_query_value.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder/association_query_value.rb
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
       end
 
       def queries
-        [associated_table.association_join_foreign_key.to_s => ids]
+        [associated_table.association_join_foreign_key => ids]
       end
 
       private
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder/polymorphic_array_value.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder/polymorphic_array_value.rb
index aae04d9348..5e9def368e 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder/polymorphic_array_value.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder/polymorphic_array_value.rb
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ module ActiveRecord
       def queries
         type_to_ids_mapping.map do |type, ids|
           {
-            associated_table.association_foreign_type.to_s => type,
-            associated_table.association_foreign_key.to_s => ids
+            associated_table.association_foreign_type => type,
+            associated_table.association_foreign_key => ids
           }
         end
       end