Chapter 7 Comparative Analysis of Learning

Pavlovian Conditioning

Documented CS-US associative learning

By Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)

• US = Unconditional Stimulus

• CS = Conditional Stimulus

A type of associative learning

Pavlovian conditioning - Encoding a CS-US association as a result of the contiguity between a CS and US

Contiguity

The state or quality of being contiguous, meaning two or more things are physically touching, right next to each other, or sharing a common ancestor

What are the two types of Nonassociative Effects?

CS sensitization effects and US sensitization effects (aka pseudoconditioning)

CS sensitization effects

Repeated presentation of a CS can increase a response elicited by the CS

US sensitization effects (aka pseudoconditioning)

Exposure to the US can increase the unconditional response to the CS, even in the absence of CS —> US pairings

What are the three types of control procedures (to rule out (r/o) nonassociative explanations)?

• CS only

• US only

• Explicitly Unpaired

Mollusks

• Pavlovian conditioning in Aplysia

• Second-Order Conditioning in slug, Limax

• Octopuses learn to manipulate environment

Inter-trial interval (ITI)

A brief period of time that separates two consecutive trials or learning units in psychology, behavioral analysis, and conditioning experiments

Arthropods

• Classical conditioning of proboscis extension in the honeybee

• Blocking of proboscis in honeybee

• Discrimination learning in honeybees

• Within-compound associations in honeybees

• Maze learning in honeybees

Latent Inhibition

the retarded acquisition of a CR to a CS that has been prexposed (made familiar) prior to being paired with the US

The two types of honeybees

Scouts and Recruits

Scouts

Explore; Scouts should learn to ignore familiar odors at faster rate than recruits; Scouts should show a stronger latent inhibition (LI) than recruits (exploit)

Within-compound associations

Within-compound associations can form between contiguous stimuli. Are direct links formed between two or more conditioned stimuli (cues) that are presented together as a compound (e.g., a tone and a light) during associative learning

Nematods

• Pavlovian conditioning in C.elegans

Flatworms

• Aversive conditioning in Planarain

Cnidarians

Aversive conditioning in Sea Anemone (Cribrina xanthogrammica)

Psychological

The psychological level was developed specifically to explain learning phenomena, and it involves such concepts as S—>S associations, attentional decrement, and stimulus generalization among others.

e.g., Appetitive and Fear

Neurobiological

The neurobiological level involves brain circuits, that is, the relevant brain areas and supporting pathways.

e.g., Cerebellum and Amygdala

Neurochemical

Refers to synaptic processes. Synaptic plasticity is necessary for detecting coincidences such as those involving CS —> US pairings.

e.g., NMDA and GABA

Cell-molecular

Includes processes responsible for short-and long-term cellular changes involved in behavioral plasticity.

Long-term changes are critical for conditioning and involve gene expression and protein synthesis.

e.g., cAMP and Arachidonic acid

For eye-blink conditioning in —— it is in the ——

vertebrates; cerebellum

Cerebellum

The cerebellum (the "little brain") is a major structure located at the lower back of the brain, just above the brainstem, responsible primarily for coordinating voluntary movements, maintaining balance and posture, and supporting motor learning, alongside emerging roles in cognitive and emotional processing

Backward blocking (phenomenon)

Impaired response to an element of a compound trained with a second element reinforced in a subsequent phase

Compound-component discrimination

Discriminating between a compound and its elements

Concurrent blocking

Impaired response to an element of a compound trained with a second element reinforced in separate trials within the same session

Conditional discrimination

One of two alternatives is correct in the presence of one conditional stimulus, but the second alternative is correct in the presence of another conditional stimulus

Context conditioning

Discriminating between two contexts, one paired with reinforcement and the other paired with nonreinforcement

Discrete-trial avoidance learning

a procedure where an organism is given distinct, repeated trials to perform a specific response to prevent or escape an aversive stimulus (like a mild electric shock) signaled by a warning cue

e.g., Response in the presence of a signal to avoid shock

Escape learning

a type of operant conditioning where an individual or animal learns a behavior to terminate an ongoing, unpleasant (aversive) stimulus

Invertebrates

Any animal that does not have a vertebral column or backbone

For fear and appetitive conditioning in vertebrates it is in the ——

Amygdala

Amygdala

The amygdala is a pair of almond-shaped clusters of nuceli located deep within the medial temporal lobes of the brain as part of the limbic system

Key Functions

• Fear and Threat Detection

• Fight-or-Flight Response

• Emotional Memory Formation

• Reward and Motivation

• Social and Behavioral Regulation

What are the two techniques aimed a controlling contextual factors?

1) Control by equation

2) Control by systematic variation

Control by equation

Try to equate contextual factors across species

Control by systematic variation (preferred method for comparative analysis)

Compare the functional relationships between variables across species

What are two examples of control by systematic variation?

1) Comparative analysis of serial list learning

2) Determinants of generalization of instrumental responding in rats and pigeons

Serial Position Effect

Present list of items (e.g., words) to subject one at a time

Ask subject to recall or recognize as many words as they can (Ebbinghaus)

Testing immediately after list produces a

Recency effect

Testing after a delay produces a

Primacy effect

Recency effect

The recency effect is the natural tendency to best remember and give extra weight to the most recently presented information or experience in a series

Primacy effect

A psychological and cognitive bias where you remember and give more weight to the first piece of information you encounter in a list, sequence, or interaction better than the things that come later.