Chapt. 19 - Instrumental Learning Flashcards
Define habit strength
the strength of the association between a stimulus and a response which is reinforced by pairings between a stimulus and response which causes habit strength to increase.
also known as associative strength
Generally, what did Divac believe the function of the dorsal striatum was
believed it integrated/combined functions of motor, sensory, and cognitive control therefore giving rise to both cognitive deficits and complex motor disturbances when disconnected/impaired.
believed intermediate processing station
Define stimulus-response habits
behavior or sequences of behavior that are repeated and result in some kind of reinforcement
How is driving and keypads an example of stimulus-response habits
Driving - Same drive to work, the repeated stimulus takes over and switches away from the high order system of learning that is used when something new/unfamiliar is learned. The dorsal lateral system takes over because no longer learning it.
Keypad - doesn’t actually remember password after doing it so many times, your hands just move without thinking. Lost cognitive control and awareness. Dorsal lateral once again takes over.
What kind of information does the dorsolateral striatum receive
extensive polymodal sensory information representing the external world. Is well informed about world at any given time. sensory, olfactory, visual info, etc.
(similar to hippocampus and memory)
What kind of organization does the dorsal lateral striatum have
topographical organization - each type of information projects to a SPECIFIC location and doesn’t distribute information as much (different than hippocampus)
What information did LASHLEY provide in regards to patterning of learned activities
That the basal ganglia is not essential for this activity
What is the anatomy (what info is received) of the dorsal lateral striatum
receives information about limb and whole-body movements. Motor projections dump into striatum, info about movements at any given moment
Explain the electrophysiology of the dorsal lateral striatum
Neurons display evoked responses to sensory cues and motor response.
stimulus-response association is set up nicely because sensory and motor information are both occurring at the same time
also get dopamine projections/release info. Released when reinforcement builds up habit/associative strength
Specifically, when do neurons in the striatum display sensory evoked responses
when a sensory stimulus is linked with a conditioned movement
What experiment supports electrophysiology of the dorsal lateral striatum
Mouse noses facing forward, on sensory to start. A tone is played to the right, then mouse turns face and initiates those sensors. (visual/sensory stimuli occurs which then links to a conditioned movement of the head turn which creates electrophysiology response results
What are the 4 types of experiments used to support behaviour
- visual/tactile guided maze learning
- egocentric maze learning
- conditional discriminations (operant chamber)
(profs fav) - skilled reaching and cued versions of the water task
8 arm radial maze experiment (with lights)
2 groups of rats:
1. received neurotoxic lesions of dorso-lateral striatum
2. received vehicle injections (same process but no lesions)
targeted the neurons and not fibers because fibers would dissociate system and we need those intact to keep synapses
one week recovery period. trained on 8-arm radial maze
Changes daily, remains same for the day. 4 arms randomly selected to have lights and reinforced when go to those ones
Results of 8 arm radial maze
once they learn the pattern/habits, hard to break out of them. The control had high accuracy by the end. Impaired was not as successful because habit like process
Another 8-radial arm maze and results
Same groups 1. control 2. striatal, medial and lateral damage group
No matter where rats start, always have to turn same direction
Results - could not learn that turning means reward
Skilled reaching experiment
Start form back of clear rectangular box. Little opening at the end, with a piece of food in reach. Animal must paw to reach food, grab it, and eat it. Then go back again and repeat.
Groups: 1. neurotoic lesions of dorsolateral 2. dorsomedial 3. vehicle injections (control)
then recovered and trained on this task
Results of skilled reaching experiment
measured on single success (absolute complete success on first try) and total success measure (eventually get it, not as good).
Operant chamber experiment
multiple different combinations to get food. ex. tones-press lever-food or light-chain-food
requires individuals to use stimulus response (instead of stimulus-outcome or response-outcome associations) provides great isolation!
Operant chamber experiment results
control shows great accusation curve
impaired does not, goes up and down, all over the place
What was the potential problem in the operant chamber experiment
that dorsolateral striatum damage might ONLY cause motor problem but been seen as both motor and/ or only sensory deficit in the results
because damaged group showed lower levels of overall response and couldn’t experience as much stimulus-response reinforcement that the control group was experiencing
How was the experiment changed in order to confirm what the dorsolateral striatum damage caused
first modification - instead of high demand, changed it to only needing to press once to get reinforcement (which reduces motor requirement of the task)
second modification - the experiment continued until the subject performed the correct response. ensured groups would receive same amount of reinforced stimulus-response pairing
Results after reduced motoric demands and equated reinforcement changes
deficits still remained. means that the system is crucial for expression of learning and behaviour, not JUST acquisition, but EXPRESSION (because retention was low) so cannot express without retention
Conclusion after experiment of dorso-lateral striatum function
that is causes movements the LEAD to reinforcement. It fine tunes and provides accuracy to lead the motor movement/ experiences into habits. Associative conditioning and reinforced cues lead to habits being created
Function of the dorso-medial striatum
cognitive control of behavioural flexibility. receives information post-processing from areas of hippo, amygdala, prefrontal cortex, etc. which influence VOLUNTARY movement
same structure (in striatum) but get completely different inputs
behavioural flexibility, goal-directed behaviour, and less important attentional processes
Behavioural flexibility experiment - water task
group impaired in dorso-medial striatum (leave lateral intact) and another control group
Day 1 - swim to hidden platform Day 2 - platform changes (every day changes for 15 days)
In the same day, the platform remains in same spot
Results of behaviour flexibility water task
one trail place learning - the second swim in the SAME day, rat will go back to exact same spot for platform in control groups. treatment cannot do this
What other structure plays key role in behavioural flexibility
medial prefrontal cortex. significant connection between dorso-medial striatum
Behavioural flexibility experiment with medial prefrontal cortex
Group 1 - neurotoxic lesions of medial prefrontal cortex
Group 2 - vehicle lesions, control group
recovery, trained on one-trial place learning paradigm
(same water task just with different structure damage)
Results of BOTH structure impairment water tasks
dorso-medial striatum and medial prefrontal cortex are functional circuit important for behavioural flexibility on a task mediated by the hippocampus
Concepts/Definition of instrumental learning/behaviour
the study of how behaviour is modified by the outcome it produces. recognizes that behaviours can be viewed as instruments that can change or modify our experiences
(ex. turning key - starts ignition)
Who did the scientific study of instrumental behaviour begin with
Thorndike
Thorndike’s law of effect
outcomes produced by behaviour, adapt the animal to the situation by strengthening and weaking existing stimulus-response connections (reward = strengthen, non-rewarding = weaken)
Explain Tolman’s cognitive expectancy theory
instrumental behaviours are organized around goals and mediated by expectancies (representation of stimulus situation - representation of response - representation of outcome produced by response
Use the puzzle box to explain comparison of S-R habit (thorndike) vs. expectance representation (tolman)
Habit - ring (stimulus) and then pull ring (response)
Expectancy - Ring (S1) then pull ring (response) then door opens (outcome)
different representation to same task
Instrumental behaviours can be classified as either ___ or ____
actions or habits
Actions and habits differ on four dimensions
- A - purposeful and goal directed H - not
- A - associative structure expectancy based H - associative structure S-R based
- A - sensitive to response-outcome contingencies H - insensitive
- A - flexible, rapid response to change H - flexible, gradually respond to change
Experiment to differentiate between instrumental behaviour as action or reward - Reward Devaluation Strategy
centers on changing VALUE of outcome
if select triangle (triangle and cylinder) get grapes. then in another trial, if select square (between square and circle) get peanuts.
Then give monkey bunch of peanuts and give triangle and square, will pick triangle because doesn’t want peanuts again - devaluate the outcome
Shows action and not habitat. IF habitat, wouldn’t work
Conclusion between action or habits of instrumental behaviour
are initially controlled by action because evidence = with limited training, animals behaviour is reduced following reward devaluation,
with extensive training, devaluation has no effect, the behavioir becomes a habit
How do action and habit systems compete for control
habit is dominant when instrumental response is well learned. reversed, action system rapidly adjusts with habit system able to interfere
ex. canadian crossing street in england, habit of looking to the left before crossing
Neural support for the action system comes from the ___ and ____
prelimbic prefrontal cortex and infralimbic
Explain prelimbic function in neural support of the action system
critical in acquisition of associations that support action.
evidence = when region damaged prior to training - reward devaluation has no effect (therefore habit). goal directed representations not properly acquired when damaged
not site in brain where associations are stored.
evidence = if region damaged after training, rats are sensitive to reward devaluation and not necessary for expression
contributes to creating action based behaviour
Neural support for habits comes from the ____
dorsolateral striatum
Evidence for dorsolateral striatum and neural support of habits
prevents development of habits
evidence - after extensive lever press training, normal rats are insensitive to reward devaluation, but damaged are still sensitive therefore behaviour never became a habit
What does damage to the infralimbic medial prefrontal cortex cause
damage to region prior to training prevents becoming habits. with damage remain sensitive to reward devaluation even after extensive training.
if damaged after extensive training and have become habit, become sensitive to reward devaluation again.
with extensive training, infralimbic suppress output of action potential
What did Mcdonald white and devan conclude
dorso lateral striatum = stimulus response
dorso medial striatum = cognitive control of instrumental responding
Dynamic interactions
Mcdonald white and devan
switching back to cognitive control system but not the other direction (not from action to habit) need repetitive actions to have dorso lateral control
Balleine, Knowlton, and Yin
response = dorso lateral, response-outcome = dorso medial
devaluation results indicated which one is controlling behaviour
Dynamic interactions
Balleine, Knowlton, and Yin
Dynamic interactions
Balleine, Knowlton, and Yin
switching back and forth from goal-directed and habit system regardless of amount of training
