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

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...

Real-World Application of Classical Conditioning

Real-World Application of Classical Conditioning

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Combined Use of Three Endoscopes With Primary Suture of Common Bile Duct and Antegrade Nasobiliary Drainage for Common Bile Duct Stones.

Surgical laparoscopy, endoscopy & percutaneous techniques·2026

Same author

Maternal TSH and FT4 changes during pregnancy as risk factors for preeclampsia in euthyroid women.

Frontiers in endocrinology·2026

Same author

NEURONpyxl: fast, flexible, Python-integrated simulation of biophysical neural networks with complex plastic synapses.

Frontiers in computational neuroscience·2026

Same author

Genome-Wide Identification of the GRAS Transcription Factor Family in <i>Coptis chinensis</i> Reveals Tissue-Specific Co-Expression with bZIP Proteins Under Light Stress.

International journal of molecular sciences·2026

Same author

Phenotyping elucidates the association between traits and bioactive components in Notopterygium incisum.

BMC plant biology·2026

Same author

Carbon-Nanotube-Enabled Low-Threshold Laser Lift-Off for Ultra-Thin Polyimide Films.

Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)·2026

Same journal

Aberrant Resting-State Functional Connectivity Associated With Callous-Unemotional Traits From Late Childhood Through Late Adolescence.

Biological psychiatry global open science·2026

Same journal

Prediction and Prediction Error in Autism: A Meta-Analysis of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Results.

Biological psychiatry global open science·2026

Same journal

Synaptic Actions of Estradiol in the Brain's Reward System: Linking Mechanisms to Behavior and Disease.

Biological psychiatry global open science·2026

Same journal

One Scientist's Noise Is Another's Signal: Rethinking Physiological Noise in Addiction Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Biological psychiatry global open science·2026

Same journal

Bipolar Disorder VI: Long-Term Follow-Up of Suicide Attempts and Prophylactic Effect of Lithium Treatment in Bipolar Affective Disorder.

Biological psychiatry global open science·2026

Same journal

Electroconvulsive Treatment for Depression Alters Mitochondrial Serum Metabolites.

Biological psychiatry global open science·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 4, 2025

A Fully Automated Rodent Conditioning Protocol for Sensorimotor Integration and Cognitive Control Experiments

A Fully Automated Rodent Conditioning Protocol for Sensorimotor Integration and Cognitive Control Experiments

Published on: April 15, 2014

Enhancing Associative Learning in Rats With a Computationally Designed Training Protocol.

Xu O Zhang¹, Yili Zhang¹, Claire E Cho¹

¹Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas.

Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science

|February 1, 2024

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

A computational model optimized learning protocols by adjusting intertrial intervals (ITIs). This strategy enhanced fear extinction memory in rats, suggesting potential applications for improving human cognition.

Keywords:

Associative memory Computational model Fear conditioning Fear extinction Long-term potentiation Spaced learning

More Related Videos

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

Pavlovian Conditioned Approach Training in Rats

Pavlovian Conditioned Approach Training in Rats

Published on: February 4, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 4, 2025

A Fully Automated Rodent Conditioning Protocol for Sensorimotor Integration and Cognitive Control Experiments

A Fully Automated Rodent Conditioning Protocol for Sensorimotor Integration and Cognitive Control Experiments

Published on: April 15, 2014

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

Pavlovian Conditioned Approach Training in Rats

Pavlovian Conditioned Approach Training in Rats

Published on: February 4, 2016

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Computational Biology
Behavioral Science

Background:

Learning involves protein kinases with specific temporal activation patterns.
In Aplysia, optimized intertrial intervals (ITIs) enhance nonassociative learning by coordinating protein kinase A (PKA) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation.
It remains unknown if this strategy benefits associative learning in mammals.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if a computational model-driven approach to optimize ITIs can enhance associative learning in mammals.
To determine the effects of optimized learning protocols on fear conditioning and extinction memory in rats.
To explore the impact of optimized protocols on molecular markers of learning, such as phosphorylated cAMP response element binding (pCREB) protein.

Main Methods:

Simulated 1000 training protocols with varying ITIs to identify an optimal protocol based on rat hippocampal PKA and ERK dynamics.
Applied the optimal and control protocols to adult male rats in auditory fear conditioning and extinction experiments.
Utilized immunohistochemistry to measure pCREB levels in brain regions associated with fear acquisition.

Main Results:

The optimal conditioning protocol with irregular ITIs impaired extinction memory acquisition but enhanced fear memory retrieval and spontaneous recovery under specific footshock intensities.
The optimal extinction protocol significantly improved contextual fear memory extinction and reduced spontaneous recovery.
The optimal conditioning protocol increased pCREB levels in the dentate gyrus, indicating enhanced long-term potentiation.

Conclusions:

A computational model-driven behavioral intervention can effectively enhance associative learning in mammals.
Optimized ITIs, guided by kinase dynamics, offer a novel strategy for improving fear extinction and memory.
These findings suggest potential applications for enhancing cognitive functions in humans.