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Related Concept Videos

Operant Conditioning01:21

Operant Conditioning

Operant conditioning, a key concept in behavioral psychology, involves using reinforcement and punishment to alter the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. B.F. introduced this type of conditioning. Skinner focused on voluntary behaviors and the consequences that follow them, influencing whether these behaviors will be strengthened or diminished.
Reinforcement in operant conditioning can be positive or negative, both of which serve to increase the likelihood of a behavior. Positive...
Behaviorism01:28

Behaviorism

The field of behaviorism was pioneered by figures such as Ivan Pavlov, John B. Watson, and B.F. Skinner fundamentally shifted the focus of psychology to the observable and controllable aspects of human and animal behavior. This shift marked a critical evolution in the discipline, emphasizing scientific rigor and experimental methodology.
The core premise of behaviorism is its focus on observable behavior rather than internal thoughts or feelings. This approach argues that true scientific...
Classical Conditioning01:18

Classical Conditioning

Associative learning, a core principle in behavioral psychology, involves forming connections between events and facilitating learned responses. This concept is vividly illustrated by classical conditioning, a process extensively studied by the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov. Pavlov's pioneering research on dogs' digestive systems led to the discovery that behaviors can be learned through association, laying the groundwork for classical conditioning.
Ivan Pavlov observed that dogs salivated...
Real-World Application of Classical Conditioning01:15

Real-World Application of Classical Conditioning

Classical conditioning not only includes the initial pairing of stimuli but also extends to more complex forms, such as higher-order conditioning. Higher-order conditioning involves creating associations beyond the primary conditioned stimulus, resulting in a chain of conditioned responses.
Higher-order, or second-order, conditioning occurs when a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an already established conditioned stimulus through repeated pairings. For instance, if a dog has been...
Operant Conditioning Intervention01:24

Operant Conditioning Intervention

Operant conditioning serves as a foundational principle in therapeutic interventions aimed at modifying maladaptive behaviors. Central to this approach is the notion that behaviors, both adaptive and maladaptive, are learned through reinforcement. By analyzing the environmental factors that reinforce problematic behaviors, clinicians can design interventions to weaken these reinforcements and replace maladaptive behaviors with healthier alternatives.
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...
Classical Conditioning in Daily Life01:17

Classical Conditioning in Daily Life

Classical conditioning, a fundamental principle of associative learning, explains various phenomena observed in daily life, such as fear development, the placebo effect, taste aversion, and drug habituation. These applications demonstrate the profound impact of associative learning on human behavior and physiological responses.
John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner famously demonstrated the development of fear through classical conditioning in their experiment with Little Albert. They paired the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Pavlovian Conditioned Approach Training in Rats
06:57

Pavlovian Conditioned Approach Training in Rats

Published on: February 4, 2016

Human pavlovian-instrumental transfer.

Deborah Talmi1, Ben Seymour, Peter Dayan

  • 1Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, UCL, WC1N 3BG London, United Kingdom. d.talmi@fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
|January 11, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT) in humans enhances action vigor when a predictor signals reward. This motivation is linked to nucleus accumbens and amygdala activity, supporting animal findings on reward-based learning.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Behavioral Science
  • Decision Science

Background:

  • Motivational influences on action vigor are complex, involving the amygdala and nucleus accumbens.
  • Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT) describes how reward predictors influence independent actions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate behavioral Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT) in humans.
  • To investigate the neural correlates of PIT using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Main Methods:

  • Behavioral experiment demonstrating PIT with an audiovisual reward predictor (money).
  • Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity during the task.
  • Analysis of blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signals in nucleus accumbens and amygdala.

Main Results:

  • An audiovisual predictor of money noncontingently increased handgrip squeezing vigor.
  • Enhanced motivation correlated with nucleus accumbens BOLD signal on a trial-by-trial basis.
  • Enhanced motivation correlated with amygdala BOLD signal on a subject-by-subject basis.

Conclusions:

  • Human behavior demonstrates Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT).
  • The nucleus accumbens and amygdala are key neural substrates for PIT in humans.
  • Findings align with animal research, elucidating the neural control of action vigor.