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

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...

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...

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...

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Congenital absence of touch does not preclude normal cognitive and socioemotional development.

Research square·2024

Same author

The role of somatosensation in automatic visuo-motor control: a comparison of congenital and acquired sensory loss.

Experimental brain research·2021

Same author

Perception of body shape and size without touch or proprioception: evidence from individuals with congenital and acquired neuropathy.

Experimental brain research·2021

Same author

The bystander effect in rats.

Science advances·2020

Same author

Behavioral Tests for Mouse Models of Autism: An Argument for the Inclusion of Cerebellum-Controlled Motor Behaviors.

Neuroscience·2020

Same author

Web Exclusive. Annals Graphic Medicine - How Do You Die of Forgetting?

Annals of internal medicine·2020

Same journal

Population codes for context-dependent decision-making.

Current opinion in neurobiology·2026

Same journal

Cichlid fish as a model for understanding social dysfunction.

Current opinion in neurobiology·2026

Same journal

On aims and methods in field neuroethology: Investigating neural mechanisms of behavior in semi-natural and natural contexts.

Current opinion in neurobiology·2026

Same journal

Neurobiological interfaces connecting environmental change to monarch butterfly migration.

Current opinion in neurobiology·2026

Same journal

Learning how to experience the world: From circuits to cell types to genes.

Current opinion in neurobiology·2026

Same journal

Editorial overview for neurobiology of disease 2026.

Current opinion in neurobiology·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 19, 2025

Using Clicker Training and Social Observation to Teach Rats to Voluntarily Change Cages

Using Clicker Training and Social Observation to Teach Rats to Voluntarily Change Cages

Published on: October 25, 2018

Lessons from helping behavior in rats.

¹Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, 947 E 58th St, Chicago, IL 60637, United States.

Current Opinion in Neurobiology

|January 26, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Rats help others by opening doors to free trapped companions, independent of social interaction. Mild distress aids helping, while extreme distress or anxiety hinders it, showing social selectivity.

More Related Videos

Gathering Self-Initiated Rat Behavioral Data to Characterize Post-Stroke Deficits

Gathering Self-Initiated Rat Behavioral Data to Characterize Post-Stroke Deficits

Published on: March 15, 2024

Acquisition of a High-precision Skilled Forelimb Reaching Task in Rats

Acquisition of a High-precision Skilled Forelimb Reaching Task in Rats

Published on: June 22, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 19, 2025

Using Clicker Training and Social Observation to Teach Rats to Voluntarily Change Cages

Using Clicker Training and Social Observation to Teach Rats to Voluntarily Change Cages

Published on: October 25, 2018

Gathering Self-Initiated Rat Behavioral Data to Characterize Post-Stroke Deficits

Gathering Self-Initiated Rat Behavioral Data to Characterize Post-Stroke Deficits

Published on: March 15, 2024

Acquisition of a High-precision Skilled Forelimb Reaching Task in Rats

Acquisition of a High-precision Skilled Forelimb Reaching Task in Rats

Published on: June 22, 2015

Area of Science:

Behavioral Neuroscience
Animal Behavior
Comparative Psychology

Background:

Helping behavior, defined as other-oriented actions benefiting another, is studied in rats.
Experimental paradigms for studying rat helping have emerged in the last decade.
A key paradigm involves a free rat releasing a trapped conspecific.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the factors influencing helping behavior in rats.
To understand the role of arousal and social context in facilitating or inhibiting helping.

Main Methods:

Utilized an experimental setup where a free rat could open a door to release a trapped rat.
Manipulated levels of affective arousal/anxiety and the social environment (presence of non-helpers or additional helpers).

Main Results:

Helping occurred independently of opportunities for social interaction.
Mild distress facilitated helping, whereas absence or excess of affective arousal/anxiety antagonized it.
Helping was socially selective: non-helpers inhibited helping, while additional helpers facilitated it.

Conclusions:

Rat helping behavior is modulated by affective state, with an optimal level of distress.
The social environment significantly influences the propensity to help, demonstrating social selectivity in this behavior.