Two experiments demonstrated that Pavlovian counterconditioning alters not only the responses elicited by an aversive stimulus but also the capacity of that stimulus to act as a reinforcer in a fear-conditioning paradigm. (Author/RK)

Contrary to widely held belief, Watons and Rayner's (1920) experiment with Little Albert is not first reported case of classical conditioning of a child. Their work was preceded by that of Bogen and of Krasnogorskii. Mateer's work either preceded or coincided with Watons and Rayner's. This article clarifies chronology of these early studies of…

A theory of classical conditioning is presented, which is based on a parallel, rule-based performance system integrated with mechanisms for inductive learning. A major inferential heuristic incorporated into the theory involves "unusualness," which is focused on novel cues. The theory is implemented via computer simulation. (TJH)

Classical conditioning is responsible for students' positive and negative feelings, whether directed toward subject matter, peers, teachers, or education in general. This article explains how educators can use classical conditioning principles (such as reinforcement, extinction, and paired stimuli) to create an anxiety-free learning environment.…

The participation of the hippocampus in classical conditioning is described in terms of a multilayer network portraying stimulus configuration. A model of hippocampal function is presented, and computer simulations are used to study neural activity in the various brain areas mapped according to the model. (SLD)

By integrating previous computational models of corticohippocampal function, the authors develop and test a unified theory of the neural substrates of familiarity, recollection, and classical conditioning. This approach integrates models from 2 traditions of hippocampal modeling, those of episodic memory and incremental learning, by drawing on an…

The present work introduces a form of associative mechanosensory conditioning of the proboscis extension reflex (PER) in honeybees. In our paradigm, harnessed honeybees learn the elemental association between mechanosensory, antennal stimulation and a reward of sucrose solution delivered to the proboscis. Thereafter, bees extend their proboscis to…

Spontaneous recovery from extinction is one of the most basic phenomena of Pavlovian conditioning. Although it can be studied by using a variety of designs, some procedures are better than others for identifying the involvement of underlying learning processes. A wide range of different learning mechanisms has been suggested as being engaged by…

Benzodiazepines have been useful tools for investigating mechanisms underlying learning and memory. The present set of experiments investigates the role of hippocampal GABA[subscript A]/benzodiazepine receptors in memory consolidation using Pavlovian fear conditioning. Rats were prepared with cannulae aimed at the dorsal hippocampus and trained…

Forty-eight preschool children were run under a classical conditioning paradigm in which some neutral stimuli were repeatedly associated with an adult matching the behavior of the subject, and other neutral stimuli were associated with the same adult mismatching the behavior of the subject. Preference for the stimuli associated with being matched…

Concerns the examination of conditioned stimulus--unconditioned stimulus (CS--UCS) intervals of different lengths. Demonstrates the feasibility of using a forewarned reaction time procedure with an innocuous imperative stimulus for the investigation of classical conditioning. (Editor/RK)

Reports that lengthy interstimulus interval facilitates classical conditioning in very young infants. Infants trained in a single session at 20 days of age exhibited reliable retention of the conditioned eyelid reflex 10 days later, but infants 10 days of age did not. (Author)

Data indicate that the developmental level of an individual is a significant factor in trace conditioning performance. (Authors)

This report describes the introductory psychology demonstration showing conditioned taste aversion in rats based on those animals' inability to distinguish between safe NaCl and toxic LiCl solutions. Test results showed the established phenomena of classical conditioning. Included is a discussion of the experiments relevance to behaviorist…

Conditioning was established for the two most developmentally advanced Ss, and the intermediate pair showed different patterns of orienting response to the conditioned stimulus but no evidence of conditioning. The fifth and most developmentally delayed child did not respond to the stimuli. Journal Availability: J. B. Lippincott Co., East…