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Journal ArticleDOI

Probability of shock in the presence and absence of CS in fear conditioning.

01 Aug 1968-Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology (J Comp Physiol Psychol)-Vol. 66, Iss: 1, pp 1-5
TL;DR: 2 experiments indicate that CS-US contingency is an important determinant of fear conditioning and that presentation of US in the absence of CS interferes with fear conditioning.
Abstract: 2 experiments indicate that CS-US contingency is an important determinant of fear conditioning and that presentation of US in the absence of CS interferes with fear conditioning. In Experiment 1, equal probability of a shock US in the presence and absence of a tone CS produced no CER suppression to CS; the same probability of US given only during CS produced substantial conditioning. In Experiment 2, which explored 4 different probabilities of US in the presence and absence of CS, amount of conditioning was higher the greater the probability of US during CS and was lower the greater the probability of US in the absence of CS; when the 2 probabilities were equal, no conditioning resulted. Two conceptions of Pavlovian conditioning have been distinguished by Rescorla (1967). The first, and more traditional, notion emphasizes the role of the number of pairings of CS and US in the formation of a CR. The second notion suggests that it is the contingency between CS and US which is important. The notion of contingency differs from that of pairing in that it includes not only what events are paired but also what events are not paired. As used here, contingency refers to the relative probability of occurrence of US in the presence of CS as contrasted with its probability in the absence of CS. The contingency notion suggests that, in fact, conditioning only occurs when these probabilities differ; when the probability of US is higher during CS than at other times, excitatory conditioning occurs; when the probability is lower, inhibitory conditioning results. Notice that the probability of a US can be the same in the absence and presence of CS and yet there can be a fair number of CS-US pairings. It is this that makes it possible to assess the relative importance of pairing and contingency in the development of a CR. Several experiments have pointed to the usefulness of the contingency notion. Rescorla (1966) reported a Pavlovian 1This research was supported by Grants MH13415-01 from the National Institute of Mental Health and GB-6493 from the National Science Foundation, as well as by funds from Yale University.

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Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
Antonino Santos1, Ana Porto1, Juan Romero1, A. Albó1, Alejandro Pazos1 
TL;DR: This paper treats a specific paradigm of artificial intelligence, i.e. artificial neural networks (ANNs), whose main virtue is their capacity to seek unified and mutually satisfactory solutions which are relevant to biological and psychological models.
Abstract: The learning phenomenon can be analysed at various levels, but in this paper we treat a specific paradigm of artificial intelligence, i.e. artificial neural networks (ANNs), whose main virtue is their capacity to seek unified and mutually satisfactory solutions which are relevant to biological and psychological models. Many of the procedures and methods proposed previously have used biological and/or psychological principles, models, and data; here, we focus on models which look for a greater degree of coherence. Therefore we analyse and compare all aspects of the Gluck-Thompson and Hawkins ANN models. A multithread computer model is developed for analysis of these models in order to study simple learning phenomena in a marine invertebrate (Aplysia californica) and to check their applicability to research in psychology and neurobiology. The predictive capacities of the models differs significantly: the Hawkins model provides a better analysis of the behavioural repertory of Aplysia on both the associative and the non-associative learning level. The scope of the ANN modelling technique is broadened by integration with neurobiological and behavioural models of associative learning, allowing enhancement of some architectures and procedures that are currently being used.

1 citations


Cites background from "Probability of shock in the presenc..."

  • ...Rf(t)1⁄4 1), we cannot expect a restrictive process such as blocking to take place, at least not as described by the Rescorla and Wagner (1972) model....

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  • ...Although one of the most relevant behavioural models in the field, that of Rescorla and Wagner (1972), expresses itself in the same way as an important rule in the ANN modelling field (i....

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  • ...Rescorla’s (1968) proposal is generally considered to be the best, although it has been criticized because of its random coupling of the NS and the CS....

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  • ...Although one of the most relevant behavioural models in the field, that of Rescorla and Wagner (1972), expresses itself in the same way as an important rule in the ANN modelling field (i.e. the Widrow–Hoff rule, LMS), an implementation that is completely within this model does not require this rule. Rules that are effective at the behavioural level may not be so at the synaptic level (unless only a single node is being used); in short, Rescorla and Wagner (1972) and Widrow–Hoff belong to different descriptive levels, and they must be treated as such....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Differences between PCs of faces and geometric shapes represent a starting place for a new mental chronometry based on the traditional idea that differences in RT reflect differences in information processing.
Abstract: Commands to blink were embedded within pictures of faces and simple geometric shapes or forms. The faces and shapes were conditioned stimuli (CSs), and the required responses were conditioned responses, or more properly, Cartesian reflexes (CRs). As in classical conditioning protocols, response times (RTs) were measured from CS onset. RTs provided a measure of the processing cost (PC) of attending to a CS. A PC is the extra time required to respond relative to RTs to unconditioned stimulus (US) commands presented alone. They reflect the interplay between attentional processing of the informational content of a CS and its signaling function with respect to the US command. This resulted in longer RTs to embedded commands. Differences between PCs of faces and geometric shapes represent a starting place for a new mental chronometry based on the traditional idea that differences in RT reflect differences in information processing.

1 citations


Cites background from "Probability of shock in the presenc..."

  • ...Avoiding US-alone trials could be desirable because unpaired US presentations can impede classical conditioning (Hupka, Kwaterski, & Moore, 1970; Rescorla, 1968)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Three Pavlovian conditioning experiments confirmed that two cue competition treatments can counteract when they are administered together, resulting in less competition with and greater behavioral control by a target CS in human contingency learning.

1 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This "truly random" control procedure leads to a new conception of Pavlovian conditioning postulating that the contingency between CS and US, rather than the pairing of CS andUS, is the important event in conditioning.
Abstract: The traditional control procedures for Pavlovian conditioning are examined and each is found wanting. Some procedures introduce nonassociative factors not present in the experimental procedure while others transform the excitatory, experimental CS-US contingency into an inhibitory contingency. An alternative control procedure is suggested in which there is no contingency whatsoever between CS and US. This \"truly random\" control procedure leads to a new conception of Pavlovian conditioning postulating that the contingency between CS and US, rather than the pairing of CS and US, is the important event in conditioning. The fruitfulness of this new conception of Pavlovian conditioning is illustrated by 2 experimental results.

1,328 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, three groups of dogs were trained with different kinds of Pavlovian fear conditioning for three different types of dogs: randomly and independently; for a second group, CSs predicted the occurrence of USs; and for a third group, S predicted the absence of the USs.
Abstract: Three groups of dogs were Sidman avoidance trained They then received different kinds of Pavlovian fear conditioning For one group CSs and USs occurred randomly and independently; for a second group, CSs predicted the occurrence of USs; for a third group, CSs predicted the absence of the USs The CSs were subsequently presented while S performed the avoidance response CSs which had predicted the occurrence or the absence of USs produced, respectively, increases and decreases in avoidance rate For the group with random CSs and USs in conditioning, the CS had no effect upon avoidance

160 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Rats in an experimental group were given 30 trials of differential CER and then the CS+ and CS− were combined during CER extinction, resulting in less suppression for the experimental group than shown by a control group, interpreted as a demonstration of the active inhibitory properties of CS−.
Abstract: Rats in an experimental group were given 30 trials of differential CER and then the CS+ and CS− were combined during CER extinction. The combination resulted in less suppression for the experimental group than shown by a control group which had a CS+ and a formerly random stimulus combined during extinction. This was interpreted as a demonstration of the active inhibitory properties of CS−.

44 citations


"Probability of shock in the presenc..." refers background in this paper

  • ...Although such an account is plausible for the present data, it fails to explain the active inhibition of fear found by Rescorla and LoLordo (1965), Rescorla (1966), and Hammond (1967)....

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