Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2025

Boldness, Aggression, and Shoaling Assays for Zebrafish Behavioral Syndromes
Published on: August 29, 2016
How associations become behavior
Stefano Ghirlanda1, Magnus Enquist2
1Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College, United States; Departments of Psychology and Biology, CUNY Graduate Center, United States; Centre for Cultural Evolution, Stockholm University, Sweden.
Abstract:
The Rescorla and Wagner (1972) model is the first mathematical theory to explain associative learning in the presence of multiple stimuli. Its main theoretical construct is that of associative strength, but this is connected to behavior only loosely. We propose a model in which behavior is described by a collection of Poisson processes, each with a rate proportional to an associative strength. The model predicts that the time between behaviors follows an exponential or hypoexponential distribution. This prediction is supported by two data sets on autoshaped and instrumental behavior in rats.
Related Concept Videos
Associative Learning
Classical conditioning, also known...
Behavior Modification
A real-world application of operant conditioning principles is applied...
Behaviorism
The core premise of behaviorism is its focus on observable behavior rather than internal thoughts or feelings. This approach argues that true scientific...
What is Behavior?
Real-World Application of Classical Conditioning
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...
Attribution Theory

