Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Observational Learning

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...

Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness

Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness

Avoidance learning and learned helplessness are critical concepts in understanding behavioral responses to negative stimuli.
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...

Cognitive Learning

Cognitive Learning

Cognitive learning is based on purposive behavior, incidental learning, and insight learning.
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...

Role of Shaping in Operant Conditioning

Role of Shaping in Operant Conditioning

Shaping is a technique used in operant conditioning to train complex behaviors by rewarding successive approximations toward the target behavior. This method is necessary because organisms are unlikely to perform complex behaviors spontaneously. Instead, shaping breaks down the desired behavior into small, manageable steps.
The steps involved in shaping begin with reinforcing any response that resembles the desired behavior. For example, parents might praise a child for picking up one toy. As...

Associative Learning

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...

Introduction to Learning

Introduction to Learning

Learning is the process of acquiring knowledge or skills through practice or experience, leading to long-lasting behavioral changes. This acquisition occurs through interaction with the environment and requires practice or experience. For instance, mastering a skill such as surfing requires considerable practice and experience, highlighting the essential role of repeated interactions with the environment in learning.
In contrast to learned behaviors, unlearned behaviors such as crying, sexual...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Beyond the brake: The subthalamic nucleus predominantly facilitates action in non-human primates.

Progress in neurobiology·2026

Same author

Multiple groups of neurons in the superior colliculus convert value signals into saccadic vigor.

iScience·2026

Same author

Lateral habenula and periaqueductal gray neurons signal reward prediction error and continuity of reward expectancy to drive reward-seeking behavior.

Cell reports·2026

Same author

Beyond the Brake: the Subthalamic Nucleus Predominantly Facilitates Action in Non-human Primates.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Same author

Retrograde optogenetics reveals sensorimotor convergence within a corticotectal pathway of non-human primates.

Current biology : CB·2025

Same author

Excitatory drive to the globus pallidus external segment facilitates action initiation in non-human primates.

Current biology : CB·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 18, 2026

Visualizing Visual Adaptation

Visualizing Visual Adaptation

Published on: April 24, 2017

Learning to represent reward structure: a key to adapting to complex environments.

Hiroyuki Nakahara¹, Okihide Hikosaka

¹Laboratory for Integrated Theoretical Neuroscience, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan. hiro@brain.riken.jp

Neuroscience Research

|October 17, 2012

Summary

Dopamine signals may do more than just signal reward prediction errors. A new hypothesis suggests dopamine encodes reward structure for improved internal state representation and prediction.

More Related Videos

Investigating Motor Skill Learning Processes with a Robotic Manipulandum

Investigating Motor Skill Learning Processes with a Robotic Manipulandum

Published on: February 12, 2017

A Fully Automated and Highly Versatile System for Testing Multi-cognitive Functions and Recording Neuronal Activities in Rodents

A Fully Automated and Highly Versatile System for Testing Multi-cognitive Functions and Recording Neuronal Activities in Rodents

Published on: May 3, 2012

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 18, 2026

Visualizing Visual Adaptation

Visualizing Visual Adaptation

Published on: April 24, 2017

Investigating Motor Skill Learning Processes with a Robotic Manipulandum

Investigating Motor Skill Learning Processes with a Robotic Manipulandum

Published on: February 12, 2017

A Fully Automated and Highly Versatile System for Testing Multi-cognitive Functions and Recording Neuronal Activities in Rodents

A Fully Automated and Highly Versatile System for Testing Multi-cognitive Functions and Recording Neuronal Activities in Rodents

Published on: May 3, 2012

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Decision Science
Computational Neuroscience

Background:

The dopamine reward prediction error hypothesis is central to understanding neural decision-making.
This hypothesis posits dopamine signals the difference between actual and predicted rewards, crucial for learning.
However, current models are limited by their reactive nature to immediate environmental cues.

Purpose of the Study:

To propose a new framework for understanding dopamine's role in reward prediction.
To challenge the limitations of the reward prediction error hypothesis.
To introduce the dopamine reward structural learning hypothesis.

Main Methods:

Review of existing assumptions regarding dopamine function in decision-making.
Analysis of recent findings in neuroscience and behavioral studies.
Theoretical proposal of an alternative hypothesis based on internal state representation.

Main Results:

The study suggests internal states are learned to mirror environmental reward structures.
Dopamine activity may encode multiplex signals for learning reward structures.
This encoding facilitates a more robust internal representation of rewards.

Conclusions:

The dopamine reward structural learning hypothesis offers a more comprehensive view of dopamine's function.
This revised understanding could lead to enhanced reward prediction capabilities.
Future research should explore the neural mechanisms supporting structural learning in dopamine systems.