Research article summary (published 29 Jun 2009):

Learning about associations: evidence for a hierarchical account of occasion setting.

Full Abstract

In 2 experiments rats were trained on a switching discrimination, with 4 occasion setters, A, B, C, and D and 2 target stimuli, x and y. When signaled either by A or by B, x was reinforced with food and y was not, whereas when signaled either by C or by D these reinforcement relations were reversed (i.e., A: --> x+, A: y --> -, B: x --> +, B: y --> -, C: x --> -, C: y --> +, D: x --> -, D: y --> +). In a subsequent Stage A was paired with shock, and then the degree to which food-reinforced (Experiment 1a) and nonreinforced (Experiment 1b) presentations of x and y were capable of eliciting fear was assessed. Those conditioned stimulus (CS)/unconditioned stimulus (US) relations that had been operative in the presence of the fear-eliciting occasion setter A (i.e., x --> +, y --> -) elicited more fear than the alternative CS/US combinations (i.e., x --> -, y --> +). The implications of these findings are discussed with reference to theories of occasion setting and of configural learning.

Author information

Author/s: Bonardi, Charlotte (C); Jennings, Dómhnall (D);

Affiliation: School of Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, University Park Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom. cmb(-atsign-)psychology.nottingham.ac.uk

Grants: (Agency:Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comment; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Journal of experimental psychology. Animal behavior processes (J Exp Psychol Anim Behav Process), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Jul; vol 35 (issue 3) : pp 440-5

Dates: Created 2009/07/14; Completed 2009/09/17;

PMID: 19594289, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 9/17/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

Comments and Corrections

CommentOn: J Exp Psychol Anim Behav Process. 1998 Jul;24(3):325-34. (PMID: 9679308)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Acoustic Stimulation Animals Association Learning Attention Conditioning, Classical Cues Discrimination Learning

Fear Male Motivation Photic Stimulation Rats Reinforcement Schedule Reversal Learning

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