scholarly journals Explorations with Conditioned Stimuli in Autoshaping Procedures

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill F. Nehrbas ◽  
Elizabeth B. Smedley ◽  
S. Smith Kyle
Keyword(s):  
Water Sources ◽  
Conditioned Stimuli ◽  
Sign Tracking ◽  
Conditioning Experiment ◽  
Conditioned Responses ◽  
Tracking Response

AbstractSign-tracking is a form of autoshaping where by animals reliably develop conditioned responses toward stimuli that predict an outcome. While the assignment of some value to a predictive cue may be adaptive (i.e., to be alerted to food and water sources), the attribution of value to predictive cues can be maladaptive as seen in behaviors elicited during addiction. Here we test if responding to the predictive cue changes in the context of other cues that are only partially predictive (Experiment 1). Previous work on sequential cues leading to reward have shown a bias in responding toward the first cue in the sequence over learning (Smedley and Smith 2018a, 2018b). Here we test if this effect is unique to discrete cues or if a bias in responding can be seen in a single, long cue (Experiment 2). Finally, we investigate if sign-tracking responses can reliably develop towards a cue that arrives after the delivery of reward (backwards conditioning, Experiment 3). Together, we aim to address various gaps in knowledge about the nature of the sign-tracking response.

Empathy Does Not Amplify Vicarious Threat Learning

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Lane Williams ◽  
Christopher C Conway
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Skin Conductance ◽  
Defensive Response ◽  
Conditioned Stimuli ◽  
Defensive Reaction ◽  
Direct Exposure ◽  
Conditioned Responses ◽  
Clinically Significant ◽  
Stimulus Materials ◽  
Dispositional Empathy

Clinically significant fears and phobias can be acquired vicariously. Witnessing a demonstrator’s defensive reaction to potentially dangerous objects and situations can instill conditioned threat responses in the observer. The present study concentrates on individual differences in this social learning process. Specifically, we hypothesized that dispositional empathy modulates vicarious threat conditioning. We examined university students’ (N = 150) conditioned threat responding after they observed strangers undergo Pavlovian threat conditioning. There was evidence of a substantial conditioned defensive response (Cohen’s d = 0.66), as indexed by elevated skin conductance reactions during participants’ direct exposure to the vicariously conditioned stimuli. Contrary to expectations, indices of dispositional empathy were weakly related to the size of conditioned responses (median r = .04). Our results confirm that vicarious threat learning can be evaluated experimentally, but they do not support the hypothesis that empathy amplifies this process. The preregistration, stimulus materials, data, and analysis code for this study are available at https://osf.io/h6hm2.

Effects of UCS Intensity and Duration of Exposure of Nonreinforced CS on Conditioned Electrodermal Responses: An Experimental Analysis of the Incubation Theory of Anxiety

1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (3_part_1) ◽  
pp. 931-941 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paloma Chorot ◽  
Bonifacio Sandín
Keyword(s):  
Skin Conductance ◽  
Experimental Analysis ◽  
High Intensity ◽  
Conditioned Fear ◽  
Conditioned Stimuli ◽  
Conditioning Paradigm ◽  
Conditioning Experiment ◽  
Skin Conductance Responses ◽  
Electrodermal Responses ◽  
Delay Differential

Eysenck's incubation theory of fear or anxiety was examined in a human Pavlovian conditioning experiment with skin-conductance responses as the dependent variable. The conditioned stimuli (CSs) were fear-relevant slides (snakes and spiders) and the unconditioned stimuli (UCSs) were aversive tones. Different groups of subjects were presented two tone intensities during the acquisition phase and three durations of nonreinforced CS (extinction phase) in a delay differential conditioning paradigm. Resistance to extinction of conditioned skin-conductance responses (conditioned fear responses) exhibited was largest for high intensity of tone and short presentations of the nonreinforced CS (CS + presented alone). The result tends to support Eysenck's incubation theory of anxiety.

scholarly journals Effects of predictive and incentive value manipulation on sign- and goal-tracking behavior

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina E. Maria-Rios ◽  
Christopher J. Fitzpatrick ◽  
Jonathan D. Morrow
Keyword(s):  
Predictive Value ◽  
Instrumental Learning ◽  
Simultaneous Presentation ◽  
Neutral Stimulus ◽  
Sign Tracking ◽  
Incentive Value ◽  
Negative Contingency ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Goal Tracking ◽  
Tracking Response

AbstractWhen a neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with an appetitive reward, two different types of conditioned approach responses may develop: a sign-tracking response directed toward the neutral cue, or a goal-tracking response directed toward the location of impending reward delivery. Sign-tracking responses have been postulated to result from attribution of incentive value to conditioned cues, while goal-tracking reflects the assignment of only predictive value to the cue. We therefore hypothesized that sign-tracking would be more sensitive to manipulations of incentive value, while goal-tracking would be more responsive to changes in the predictive value of the cue. We tested sign- and goal-tracking before and after devaluation of a food reward using lithium chloride, and tested whether either response could be learned under negative contingency conditions that precluded any serendipitous reinforcement of the behavior that might support instrumental learning. We also tested the effects on sign- and goal-tracking of blocking the predictive value of a cue using simultaneous presentation of a pre-conditioned cue. We found that sign-tracking was sensitive to outcome devaluation, while goal-tracking was not. We also confirmed that both responses are Pavlovian because they can be learned under negative contingency conditions. Goal-tracking was completely blocked by a pre-conditioned cue, while sign-tracking was only partially reduced. These results indicate that sign- and goal-tracking follow different rules of reinforcement learning and suggest a need to revise current models of associative learning to account for these differences.

scholarly journals Intrusive memories as conditioned responses to trauma cues: an empirically supported concept?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laila Katharina Franke ◽  
Julina Alruna Rattel ◽  
Stephan F Miedl ◽  
Sarah K. Danböck ◽  
Paul - Christian Bürkner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Conditioned Stimuli ◽  
Intrusive Memories ◽  
Empirically Supported ◽  
Film Clips ◽  
Conditioned Responses ◽  
Analogue Trauma ◽  
Healthy Participants

Intrusions in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are clinically understood as conditioned responses (CRs) to trauma-cues; however, experimental evidence for this is limited. We subjected 84 healthy participants to a differential conditioned-intrusion paradigm, where neutral faces served as conditioned stimuli (CS) and aversive film clips as unconditioned stimuli (US). While one group only completed acquisition, another group additionally received extinction. Subsequently, participants provided detailed e-diary intrusion reports. Several key findings emerged: First, participants in both groups re-experienced not only US but also CS as content of their intrusions. Second, intrusions were triggered by stimuli resembling CS, US, and experimental context. Third, extinction reduced probability and severity of US intrusions, and accelerated their decay, and this was particularly the case in participants showing greater cognitive (US-expectancy) and physiological (SCR) differential responding to CS+ vs. CS- at end of acquisition (i.e., conditionability). Similarly, CS-intrusion probability and severity was reduced by extinction in participants with greater cognitive conditionability. These results support conditioning’s role in re-experiencing in two critical ways: (1) Conditioning during trauma provides cues that not only function as triggers, but also as content of intrusions; (2) After strong conditioning, weakening the original CS-US relationship via extinction prevents intrusion formation after analogue-trauma.

scholarly journals An Exploration of Responses to Drug Conditioned Stimuli during Treatment for Substance Dependence

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Goddard ◽  
Leanne S. Son Hing ◽  
Francesco Leri
Keyword(s):  
Substance Dependence ◽  
Progressive Ratio ◽  
Treatment Center ◽  
Ratio Schedule ◽  
Operant Response ◽  
Conditioned Stimuli ◽  
Conditioned Reinforcers ◽  
Significant Bias ◽  
Drug Paraphernalia ◽  
Conditioned Responses

Although it is well established that drug conditioned stimuli produce a variety of conditioned responses, it is not known whether such stimuli can also reinforce an arbitrary operant response and thus serve as conditioned reinforcers. Volunteers (n=39) recruited from a residential treatment center for substance dependence were tested on a task in which presses on computer keys activated images of drugs/drug paraphernalia on a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement. They also completed a personalized craving questionnaire and a personalized Implicit Association Test. A significant bias in responding was found for images of preferred drugs/route of drug administration. Craving, however, was low and the images generated negative evaluative reactions. Two additional studies were performed to ascertain the generalizability of the effects to a different population of drug-using individuals (i.e., students who drink) and to incentive stimuli of a different nature (i.e., sexual). The additional studies partially replicated and extended the central findings of the main study. Therefore, although these data should be considered preliminary in light of small group sizes, it is concluded that cue specificity and availability of the unconditioned stimuli (drugs and sex) plays a role in modulating responding maintained by conditioned reinforcers.

scholarly journals Cortico-Hippocampal Computational Modeling Using Quantum Neural Networks to Simulate Classical Conditioning Paradigms

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 431
Author(s):  
Mustafa Khalid ◽  
Jun Wu ◽  
Taghreed M. Ali ◽  
Thaair Ameen ◽  
Ahmed A. Moustafa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Neural Networks ◽  
Computational Models ◽  
Single Layer ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Conditioned Stimuli ◽  
Quantum Neural Network ◽  
Biological Studies ◽  
Network Topologies ◽  
Conditioned Responses

Most existing cortico-hippocampal computational models use different artificial neural network topologies. These conventional approaches, which simulate various biological paradigms, can get slow training and inadequate conditioned responses for two reasons: increases in the number of conditioned stimuli and in the complexity of the simulated biological paradigms in different phases. In this paper, a cortico-hippocampal computational quantum (CHCQ) model is proposed for modeling intact and lesioned systems. The CHCQ model is the first computational model that uses the quantum neural networks for simulating the biological paradigms. The model consists of two entangled quantum neural networks: an adaptive single-layer feedforward quantum neural network and an autoencoder quantum neural network. The CHCQ model adaptively updates all the weights of its quantum neural networks using quantum instar, outstar, and Widrow–Hoff learning algorithms. Our model successfully simulated several biological processes and maintained the output-conditioned responses quickly and efficiently. Moreover, the results were consistent with prior biological studies.

Hearing in Mice via GSR Audiometry

1963 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 359-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles I. Berlin
Keyword(s):  
Inverse Relationship ◽  
Sound Pressure ◽  
Single Units ◽  
Sensitivity Curve ◽  
Basic Tool ◽  
Eighth Nerve ◽  
Pure Tones ◽  
Conditioned Responses ◽  
Frequency Intensity ◽  
Near Threshold

Hearing in mice has been difficult to measure behaviorally. With GSR as the basic tool, the sensitivity curve to pure tones in mice has been successfully outlined. The most sensitive frequency-intensity combination was 15 000 cps at 0-5 dB re: 0.0002 dyne/cm 2 , with responses noted from 1 000 to beyond 70 000 cps. Some problems of reliability of conditioning were encountered, as well as findings concerning the inverse relationship between the size of GSR to unattenuated tones and the sound pressure necessary to elicit conditioned responses at or near threshold. These data agree well with the sensitivity of single units of the eighth nerve of the mouse.

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