Conditioning

Question 1

What term is used to predict the reward in the Rescorla Wagner model

Answer 1

Wi

This is the weight, which can be frequently updated.

Question 2

Before conditioning, the dopaminergic neurons fire at an _______ rate when the reward is received.

Answer 2

Elevated

Question 3

After conditioning, they fire at a _______ rate if the anticipated reward fails to appear after stimuli.

Answer 3

Depressed

Question 4

When there is a series of events, in which direction does the credit filter?(forward or backwards?

Give an example

Answer 4

Credit filters forward

Given:

Light —–> Bell —-> vibration—–> food

The credit would all be given to the light. This would also result in the light blocking the bell and the vibration.

Question 5

What is the name of the mechanism for shifting forward causation of rewards?

Answer 5

Temporal difference learning

Question 6

VTA projects to the _______?

Answer 6

Hippocampus

Question 7

Signals from VTA to the hippocampus use ______ to mark new and important information, prompting their encoding in memory.

Answer 7

Dopmaine

Question 8

How does the brain favour/encourage learning new information

Answer 8

Activitiy in the dopmainergic neurons increases long term plastic changes in the hippocampus