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

Behavior Modification

Behavior Modification

Behavioral approaches have often been criticized for ignoring mental processes and focusing solely on observable behavior. However, these approaches provide an optimistic perspective for individuals seeking to change their behaviors. Rather than concentrating on intrinsic personality traits, behavioral approaches suggest that even longstanding habits can be modified by changing the reward contingencies that maintain them.
A real-world application of operant conditioning principles is applied...

Timing and Consequences on Behavior

Timing 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...

Behaviorism

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...

Law of Effect

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...

Feedback control systems

Feedback control systems

Feedback control systems are categorized in various ways based on their design, analysis, and signal types.
Linear feedback systems are theoretical models that simplify analysis and design. These systems operate under the principle that their output is directly proportional to their input within certain ranges. For instance, an amplifier in a control system behaves linearly as long as the input signal remains within a specific range. However, most physical systems exhibit inherent nonlinearity...

Generalization, Discrimination, and Extinction

Generalization, Discrimination, and Extinction

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Knowability predicts curiosity and learning.

Cognition·2026

Same author

Human-AI Collaboration in Healthcare: A Scoping Review.

NPJ digital medicine·2026

Same author

Confidence and certainty in medical diagnoses within acute healthcare: a scoping review.

BMJ quality & safety·2025

Same author

ERP prediction error responses under temporal constraints.

Brain research·2025

Same author

Perspective: The foundations, fortunes, and future of cognitive control research.

Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance·2025

Same author

Clinical and cognitive assessment in Friedreich ataxia clinical trials: a review.

Frontiers in neurology·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 15, 2026

Movement Retraining using Real-time Feedback of Performance

Movement Retraining using Real-time Feedback of Performance

Published on: January 17, 2013

Adaptive behaviour and feedback processing integrate experience and instruction in reinforcement learning.

Anne-Marike Schiffer¹, Kayla Siletti², Florian Waszak³

¹Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, OX13UD Oxford, UK; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France; CNRS (Laboratoire Psychologie de la Perception, UMR 8158), Paris, France.

|September 1, 2016

Summary

Humans adapt behavior by integrating instructions with experience to interpret unexpected events. This research shows how high-level information guides learning and decision-making in uncertain environments.

More Related Videos

Pavlovian Conditioned Approach Training in Rats

Pavlovian Conditioned Approach Training in Rats

Published on: February 4, 2016

Operant Protocols for Assessing the Cost-benefit Analysis During Reinforced Decision Making by Rodents

Operant Protocols for Assessing the Cost-benefit Analysis During Reinforced Decision Making by Rodents

Published on: September 10, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 15, 2026

Movement Retraining using Real-time Feedback of Performance

Movement Retraining using Real-time Feedback of Performance

Published on: January 17, 2013

Pavlovian Conditioned Approach Training in Rats

Pavlovian Conditioned Approach Training in Rats

Published on: February 4, 2016

Operant Protocols for Assessing the Cost-benefit Analysis During Reinforced Decision Making by Rodents

Operant Protocols for Assessing the Cost-benefit Analysis During Reinforced Decision Making by Rodents

Published on: September 10, 2018

Area of Science:

Cognitive Neuroscience
Computational Neuroscience
Decision Science

Background:

Adaptive behavior in uncertain environments requires distinguishing true environmental changes from random fluctuations.
Integrating high-level instructional information with direct experience is crucial for effective learning and adaptation.
Previous research often confounds the informativeness of feedback with its surprisingness.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how humans integrate instructional information and experience to adapt behavior in non-deterministic environments.
To examine the neural mechanisms underlying the flexible use of feedback informativeness in decision-making.
To de-confound the effects of feedback informativeness and surprise on learning and neural responses.

Main Methods:

Electroencephalography (EEG) experiments involving a probabilistic reinforcement learning task.
Participants received instructions regarding feedback reliability and environmental volatility.
Behavioral analysis of adaptation speed and neural analysis of event-related potentials (ERPs) like stimulus-preceding negativity and feedback-related negativity (FRN).

Main Results:

Participants adapted behavior more rapidly to environmental changes when instructed that negative feedback was more informative, irrespective of surprise.
Neural markers, including stimulus-preceding negativity and feedback-related negativity (FRN), reflected the perceived informativeness of unexpected feedback.
P3 amplitude changes correlated with imminent behavioral adjustments, indicating adaptive decision-making.

Conclusions:

High-level instructional information flexibly modulates experience-driven learning in humans.
This interaction enables informed decisions about persevering with current strategies or exploring new options.
Findings provide novel insights into the neural basis of adaptive decision-making in complex, uncertain environments.