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

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...

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...

Operant Conditioning

Operant Conditioning

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

<i>Vitreoscilla filiformis</i> Supernatant: A Novel Postbiotic Secretome for the Prevention and Treatment of Wound Infections.

Pharmaceutics·2026

Same author

Feasibility, Usability and Acceptance of a Multi-Component Cognitive Intervention Using Immersive Virtual Reality and Telemedicine in Individuals with Subjective Cognitive Decline.

Journal of clinical medicine·2026

Same author

Moral decision-making in patients with neurodegenerative diseases: a systematic review.

Frontiers in psychology·2026

Same author

The effectiveness of i-virtual reality and telemedicine based cognitive approach for rehabilitation of prospective memory in individuals with Parkinson's disease and mild cognitive impairment: A randomized-controlled trial.

Rehabilitation psychology·2026

Same author

Executive Impairment in Huntington's Disease: Insights From a Systematic Review of the Literature.

Brain and behavior·2026

Same author

User Experience, System Usability, and Feasibility of Two Novel Immersive Virtual Reality Memory Tasks for Cognitive Training: A Pilot Study.

Brain sciences·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 16, 2025

Pavlovian Conditioned Approach Training in Rats

Pavlovian Conditioned Approach Training in Rats

Published on: February 4, 2016

The Signalled Licking/Avoidance of Punishment (SLAP) Paradigm in Rats: Capacity for Insight Between Goal Conditioning

Concetto Puzzo^1,2,3, Maurizio Oggiano⁴, Micaela Capobianco³

¹International Telematic University Uninettuno, Rome, Italy.

International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the International Society for Developmental Neuroscience

|July 10, 2025

Summary

Rats in a novel task learned to avoid punishment but failed to integrate learned behaviors, modeling deficits seen in children with specific learning disabilities and ADHD. This suggests a potential neurobiological basis for these cognitive impairments.

Keywords:

ADHD SLD goal‐directed action passive avoidance reward

More Related Videos

A Conflict Model of Reward-seeking Behavior in Male Rats

A Conflict Model of Reward-seeking Behavior in Male Rats

Published on: February 20, 2019

Signal Attenuation as a Rat Model of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Signal Attenuation as a Rat Model of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Published on: January 9, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 16, 2025

Pavlovian Conditioned Approach Training in Rats

Pavlovian Conditioned Approach Training in Rats

Published on: February 4, 2016

A Conflict Model of Reward-seeking Behavior in Male Rats

A Conflict Model of Reward-seeking Behavior in Male Rats

Published on: February 20, 2019

Signal Attenuation as a Rat Model of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Signal Attenuation as a Rat Model of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Published on: January 9, 2015

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Animal Behavior
Cognitive Psychology

Background:

Children with specific learning disabilities (SLD) exhibit poor logical reasoning, while those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show prospective memory deficits.
These cognitive impairments in humans present challenges in integrating learned information and executing planned actions.

Purpose of the Study:

To model aspects of SLD and/or ADHD in rats using the signalled-licking/avoidance-of-punishment (SLAP) protocol.
To assess rats' ability to merge independently learned Pavlovian and instrumental associations and deliberately exploit them.

Main Methods:

Rats were trained in Skinner boxes using the 'Flash' and 'Allow' paradigms within the SLAP protocol.
'Flash' involved passive avoidance of footshocks during unsafe phases.
'Allow' required instrumental nose-poking to access safe phases, testing goal-directed behavior.

Main Results:

Rats successfully learned passive avoidance in the 'Flash' paradigm.
In the 'Allow' paradigm, rats showed increased nose-poking but did not demonstrate instrumental exploitation of this action to control environmental phases.
No significant integration of independent associative learning was observed.

Conclusions:

The SLAP protocol effectively models passive avoidance learning but not the integration of independent associations.
Rats' failure to exploit nose-poking suggests a lack of understanding of instrumental control, distinct from passive avoidance.
The findings point to potential limbic-striatal-cortical network involvement, relevant to SLD and ADHD neurobiology.