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

Real-World Application of Classical Conditioning01:15

Real-World Application of Classical Conditioning

2.0K
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...
2.0K
Associative Learning01:27

Associative Learning

1.7K
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...
1.7K
Operant Conditioning01:21

Operant Conditioning

3.3K
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...
3.3K
Cognitive Learning01:21

Cognitive Learning

1.5K
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...
1.5K
Behaviorism01:28

Behaviorism

7.6K
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...
7.6K
Generalization, Discrimination, and Extinction01:24

Generalization, Discrimination, and Extinction

1.8K
Generalization, discrimination, and extinction are key concepts in operant conditioning that influence how behaviors are learned and maintained.
Generalization occurs when a behavior reinforced in one context is performed in similar situations. For instance, a student who studies diligently for calculus and receives excellent grades might apply the same study habits to psychology and history, expecting similar results. Generalization shows how learning in one setting can influence behavior in...
1.8K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Anxiety, Cognitive Biases, and Evaluative Conditioning: An Eye-Tracking Experiment.

International review of social psychology·2026
Same author

Assessing the Relational Abilities of Large Language Models and Large Reasoning Models.

Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same author

The HEXACO Adjective Scale: A Cross-Cultural Validity Study.

Journal of personality assessment·2025
Same author

Octave Equivalence: Difficult to Perceive, But Improvements Are Possible With Training.

Experimental psychology·2025
Same author

Re-examining Spontaneous Trait Transference from an Attributional Perspective.

Personality & social psychology bulletin·2025
Same author

Long-term Contingency Learning Depends on Contingency Awareness.

Journal of cognition·2025
Same journal

Error Cancellation During Early Task Performance.

Experimental psychology·2026
Same journal

Test Format Matching Moderates the Forward Testing Effect.

Experimental psychology·2026
Same journal

Affective-Motivational Task Content and Stimulus Size Modulate Cognitive Control in Task Switching.

Experimental psychology·2026
Same journal

The Effect of Violent Virtual Avatar Experience on Players' Response Inhibition to Angry Expressions and Its Cognitive Neural Mechanisms.

Experimental psychology·2026
Same journal

Same Person, Different Personality?

Experimental psychology·2026
Same journal

Competition Matters!

Experimental psychology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 20, 2026

Modeling Verbal Behavior Deficits with the Stimulus Control Ratio Equation, SCoRE
06:57

Modeling Verbal Behavior Deficits with the Stimulus Control Ratio Equation, SCoRE

Published on: May 14, 2019

11.0K

Contingency Learning Tracks With Stimulus-Response Proportion.

James R Schmidt1, Jan De Houwer1

  • 11 Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium.

Experimental Psychology
|May 26, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Human contingency learning shows faster, more accurate responses to expected word-color pairs. Learning is proportional to co-occurrence frequency, with no penalty for expectancy violations.

Keywords:
contingency learningfacilitationfrequencyinterferencemispredictionprediction

More Related Videos

Operant Procedures for Assessing Behavioral Flexibility in Rats
08:30

Operant Procedures for Assessing Behavioral Flexibility in Rats

Published on: February 15, 2015

21.7K
Using Rapid Serial Visual Presentation to Measure Set-Specific Capture, a Consequence of Distraction While Multitasking
05:58

Using Rapid Serial Visual Presentation to Measure Set-Specific Capture, a Consequence of Distraction While Multitasking

Published on: August 29, 2018

9.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 20, 2026

Modeling Verbal Behavior Deficits with the Stimulus Control Ratio Equation, SCoRE
06:57

Modeling Verbal Behavior Deficits with the Stimulus Control Ratio Equation, SCoRE

Published on: May 14, 2019

11.0K
Operant Procedures for Assessing Behavioral Flexibility in Rats
08:30

Operant Procedures for Assessing Behavioral Flexibility in Rats

Published on: February 15, 2015

21.7K
Using Rapid Serial Visual Presentation to Measure Set-Specific Capture, a Consequence of Distraction While Multitasking
05:58

Using Rapid Serial Visual Presentation to Measure Set-Specific Capture, a Consequence of Distraction While Multitasking

Published on: August 29, 2018

9.4K

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Human Learning
  • Associative Learning

Background:

  • Contingency learning is crucial for adapting to environmental regularities.
  • Understanding how humans form associations between stimuli is fundamental to cognitive science.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanisms of human contingency learning.
  • To examine how word-color associations influence response times and accuracy.
  • To determine the role of co-occurrence frequency in expectancy formation.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the color-word contingency learning paradigm.
  • Participants responded to the print color of neutral words.
  • Manipulated word-color pair frequencies (high, medium, low) and tested expectancy violations.

Main Results:

  • Faster and more accurate responses were observed for expected word-color pairs.
  • Performance improved with higher co-occurrence frequencies of word-color pairs.
  • No evidence of response competition or costs associated with expectancy violations was found.

Conclusions:

  • Human contingency learning is driven by the co-occurrence frequency of stimuli.
  • A given word facilitates responses proportionally to how often it co-occurs with a specific color.
  • Expectancy violations do not incur costs in this learning paradigm.