Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Reinforcement01:23

Reinforcement

Positive and negative reinforcement are key concepts in operant conditioning, a learning process where the consequences of a behavior affect the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.
Positive reinforcement occurs when a behavior is followed by the presentation of a rewarding stimulus, increasing the frequency of that behavior. For example:
Observational Learning01:12

Observational Learning

Albert Bandura's observational learning, also known as imitation or modeling, occurs when a person observes and imitates another's behavior. It is a quicker process than operant conditioning. A well-known example is the Bobo doll study, where children who saw an adult acting aggressively towards the doll were more likely to act aggressively when left alone, compared to those who observed a nonaggressive adult. Many psychologists view observational learning as a form of latent learning because...
Reinforcement Schedules01:24

Reinforcement Schedules

Positive reinforcement is a powerful method for teaching new behaviors to both animals and humans. B.F. Skinner demonstrated this with his experiments using rats in a Skinner box. When a rat pressed a lever, it received a food pellet. This immediate reward encouraged the rat to repeat the behavior. This method, where a reward follows every instance of the behavior, is known as continuous reinforcement. It is highly effective for establishing new behaviors quickly.
Once a behavior is learned,...
Law of Effect01:06

Law of Effect

B.F. Skinner, a prominent figure in behavioral psychology, introduced operant conditioning by emphasizing the role of consequences in shaping behavior. This theory builds upon the law of effect proposed by Edward Thorndike, which posits that behaviors followed by satisfying outcomes are likely to be repeated. In contrast, those followed by unsatisfying outcomes are less likely to recur.
Edward Thorndike's foundational work involved studying learning in animals, particularly using puzzle boxes...
Associative Learning01:27

Associative Learning

Associative learning is a fundamental concept in behavioral psychology, wherein a connection is established between two stimuli or events, leading to a learned response. This process is critical in understanding how behaviors are acquired and modified. Conditioning, the mechanism through which associations are formed, can be divided into two main types: classical conditioning and operant conditioning, each elucidating different aspects of associative learning.
Classical conditioning, also known...
Instinctive Drift01:05

Instinctive Drift

Instinctive drift refers to the tendency of animals to revert to their innate behaviors despite repeated reinforcement. Breland and Breland demonstrated this concept in an experiment with a raccoon. The raccoon was trained to pick up two coins and place them in a container in exchange for food. Initially, the raccoon learned to associate the coins with food, making them a conditioned stimulus or a substitute for food. However, over time, the raccoon became less willing to put the coins into the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Epilepsy-Related Psychosis in Drug-Resistant Epilepsy With Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus and Difficult Antipsychotic Titration: A Case Report.

Neuropsychopharmacology reports·2026
Same author

Decomposing neuroanatomical heterogeneity in depression: insights from an ENIGMA major depressive disorder working group study in 5146 individuals.

Translational psychiatry·2026
Same author

Psychometric properties of hierarchical psychiatric symptoms on the general population.

PLOS mental health·2026
Same author

Electroconvulsive therapy in an older patient with recurrent major depressive disorder and a permanent pacemaker: A case report.

PCN reports : psychiatry and clinical neurosciences·2026
Same author

Activation of the Anterior Insular and Prefrontal Cortices During Attention Switching and Task Execution: A Study Using a Cued-Switching Task and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Perceptual and motor skills·2026
Same author

Insula Structure Is Linked to Autonomic Cardiac Dysregulation in Depression.

Biological psychiatry·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 23, 2026

The Double-H Maze: A Robust Behavioral Test for Learning and Memory in Rodents
09:01

The Double-H Maze: A Robust Behavioral Test for Learning and Memory in Rodents

Published on: July 8, 2015

[Reinforcement learning by striatum].

Yoshihiko Kunisato1, Go Okada, Yasumasa Okamoto

  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, minami-ku, Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan.

Brain and Nerve = Shinkei Kenkyu No Shinpo
|April 22, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Reinforcement learning models reveal how the striatum predicts rewards. Serotonin levels modulate this function, impacting choices at different time scales, with implications for mental health.

More Related Videos

Study Motor Skill Learning by Single-pellet Reaching Tasks in Mice
06:04

Study Motor Skill Learning by Single-pellet Reaching Tasks in Mice

Published on: March 4, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 23, 2026

The Double-H Maze: A Robust Behavioral Test for Learning and Memory in Rodents
09:01

The Double-H Maze: A Robust Behavioral Test for Learning and Memory in Rodents

Published on: July 8, 2015

Study Motor Skill Learning by Single-pellet Reaching Tasks in Mice
06:04

Study Motor Skill Learning by Single-pellet Reaching Tasks in Mice

Published on: March 4, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Computational Psychiatry
  • Decision Science

Background:

  • Reinforcement learning (RL) models are increasingly used to analyze neuroimaging data.
  • The striatum is a key brain region involved in decision-making and reward processing.
  • Neuromodulators like serotonin play a crucial role in RL.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review RL theory and its biological underpinnings.
  • To investigate the role of the striatum and serotonin in reward prediction at different time scales.
  • To explore the link between serotonin levels, striatal activity, and reward-based decision-making.

Main Methods:

  • Review of reinforcement learning theory and neurobiological structures.
  • Neuroimaging experiments analyzing striatal activity during reward prediction.
  • Dietary manipulation of tryptophan (serotonin precursor) to alter serotonin levels.
  • Behavioral analysis of reward choice and delay discounting.

Main Results:

  • Ventroanterior striatum activity correlates with immediate reward prediction; dorsoposterior striatum activity correlates with future reward prediction.
  • Low serotonin levels enhance ventral striatum activity for short-term reward prediction and increase preference for immediate, smaller rewards.
  • High serotonin levels enhance dorsal striatum activity for long-term reward prediction.

Conclusions:

  • Striatal function in reward prediction is specialized for different time scales.
  • Serotonin levels differentially modulate short-term and long-term reward prediction in the striatum.
  • Altered reward prediction due to low serotonin may be linked to mental health conditions like depression.