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Published on: May 3, 2012
Neural events in the reinforcement contingency.
Maria Teresa Araujo Silva1, Fábio Leyser Gonçalves, Miriam Garcia-Mijares
1University of São Paulo.
The Behavior Analyst
|April 6, 2012
Summary
Neuroscience and behavior analysis reveal neural events in operant conditioning. Neural activity, like overt behavior, follows laws of discriminative stimuli, responses, and consequences.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Science
- Experimental Psychology
Background:
- Functional relations between neural events and overt stimuli/responses are increasingly understood.
- The integration of neuroscience and behavioral analysis provides empirical evidence for neural involvement in behavior-environment interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight exemplar instances of neural events functioning within the three-term contingency.
- To demonstrate that neural activity follows the same fundamental laws as other behavioral events.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of neural events as stimuli and responses.
- Utilizing technological advances for in vitro and in vivo neural activity recording and manipulation.
- Investigating molecular bases of classical conditioning.
Main Results:
- Electrical brain stimulation demonstrates reinforcing functions.
- Neural activity, including isolated neurons and neuronal populations in vivo, can be selected by consequences, analogous to operant conditioning.
- Neural stimulation acts as a discriminative stimulus for operant responses maintained by neural consequences.
Conclusions:
- Neural activity is an integral component of the three-term contingency (discriminative stimuli, responses, consequences).
- Neural events follow the same behavioral laws as overt stimuli and responses.
- This integration opens new avenues for studying behavior-environment interactions within organisms.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Operant 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...
Reinforcement in operant conditioning can be positive or negative, both of which serve to increase the likelihood of a behavior. Positive...
01:15Real-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...
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...
01:23Reinforcement
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:
Positive reinforcement occurs when a behavior is followed by the presentation of a rewarding stimulus, increasing the frequency of that behavior. For example:
01:08Timing and Consequences on Behavior
In operant conditioning, the timing of reinforcement is crucial. For animals like rats and cats, immediate reinforcement (within a few seconds) is much more effective than delayed reinforcement. For example, a food reward for a rat needs to follow within 30 seconds of pressing a bar to be effective.
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant factor...
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant factor...
01:24Reinforcement 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,...
Once a behavior is learned,...
01:37Neural Regulation
Digestion begins with a cephalic phase that prepares the digestive system to receive food. When our brain processes visual or olfactory information about food, it triggers impulses in the cranial nerves innervating the salivary glands and stomach to prepare for food.