Cortical correlates of semantic classical conditioning
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 3, 2026

Visual Classical Conditioning in Wood Ants
Published on: October 5, 2018
P Montoya1, W Larbig, F Pulvermüller
1Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Germany. pedro.montoya@uni-tuebingen.de
Abstract:
Event-related potentials to visually displayed pseudowords were registered from 13 individuals. In a differential conditioning paradigm, half of the pseudowords had previously been paired with a painful electric shock (shock words) and the other half had been presented without shock (nonshock words). Participants were asked to decide if the words had been presented during the conditioning phase or not. Larger N100 amplitudes and a more negative-going slow wave 400-800 ms after word presentation were found for shock as compared with nonshock words. This effect was stronger over the left than over the right hemisphere. This left-lateralized negativity might reflect the activation of a cell assembly representing the memory of the learned word-shock contingency. Furthermore, the increased N100 amplitude elicited by shock as compared with nonshock words may be interpreted as an increased attentive facilitation for aversive pain-related information as a consequence of conditioning.
More Related Videos
08:17A Semantic Priming Event-related Potential (ERP) Task to Study Lexico-semantic and Visuo-semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Published on: April 12, 2018
05:38Interaction between Phonological and Semantic Processes in Visual Word Recognition using Electrophysiology
Published on: June 29, 2021
Related Concept Videos
Classical Conditioning
Ivan Pavlov observed that dogs salivated...
Principles of Classical Conditioning
During the...
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...
Classical Conditioning in Daily Life
John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner famously demonstrated the development of fear through classical conditioning in their experiment with Little Albert. They paired the...
Associative Learning
Classical conditioning, also known...
Association Areas of the Cortex
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...