Excitatory and inhibitory learning with absent stimuli.
Three experiments showed that 2 associatively activated stimulus representations may engage in excitatory or inhibitory learning, depending on their temporal relationship. Experiment 1a suggested that simultaneously activated stimulus representations show evidence of inhibitory learning in an acquisition test. Experiment 1b showed similar evidence of inhibition in a summation test. Experiment 2 found that activation of 2 stimulus representations in a serial compound resulted in excitatory learning between the antecedent and the subsequent (forward) and inhibitory learning between the subsequent and the antecedent (backward). The results show the dynamic influence of temporal contiguity on mediated learning.
Wheeler
Daniel S
DS
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA. dwheel11@jhu.edu
Sherwood
Andrew
A
Holland
Peter C
PC
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000818:Animals; D001070:Appetitive Behavior; D001245:Association Learning; D001288:Attention; D003214:Conditioning, Classical; D003463:Cues; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D005793:Generalization, Psychological; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley