Three experiments used an appetitive Pavlovian conditioning procedure to investigate the ability of the context to generate excitation. Discrete stimuli (CSs) signalling food unconditioned stimuli (USs) were used to decrease contextual conditioning. Detailed observations of the behaviours of rats during and immediately preceding the presentation of CSs, and in an event-free period were analysed. Experiment 1 showed that a discrete visual CS was able to interfere with contextual conditioning because it was a more efficient cue for food than the context. Experiment 2 found that an auditory CS could reduce contextual conditioning in a similar manner but the topography of responding during the event-free period was specific to the modality of the CS. Experiment 3 demonstrated that signal-appropriate responding during the event-free period occurred only if the CS was a signal for reinforcement.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1982. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 33-36).

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The history of classical conditioning is summarized. The contributions and weaknesses of several earlier models of classical conditioning are studied. Two new neuronal models are proposed. The first, called the delay-producing connections (or DPC) model, is an extension of the Klopf (1988) and Sutton & Barto (1981) models. The DPC model makes two contributions: (1) it represents the trace of each conditioned stimuli (CS) by differential equations; and (2) it replaces each CS in the activation rule with a trace of the relevant CS. A method is suggested to measure the trace of a CS. The second model, called the adaptive delays (or AD) model, is proposed as an extension of the DPC model to account for the phenomenon of inhibition of delay. Both models reproduce the shape of a CR, the curve of efficacy of conditioning as a function of the interstimulus interval (ISI), the dependence of the optimal ISI on CS duration, the extinction of a CR (even for long lasting CSs as opposed to Klopf's (1988) model), and several other properties of classical conditioning.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2008. / Title from title screen (site viewed Mar. 31, 2009). PDF text: ix, 94 p. : ill. ; 910 K. UMI publication number: AAT 3330851. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1981. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 147-155).

Thesis (B.A. (Hons.))--University of Queensland, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references.

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