Lecture 14 - Occasion Setting

Question 1

Outline occasion setting of associations

Answer 1

Same stimulus be associated with 2 different outcomes
Which association retrieved conditional on context
Represent knowledge versatile way
Context contr choose CS->US use

Question 2

Outline Baddeley and Godden

Answer 2

4 environments and learnt words
Taught same environment = better retrieving
Can’t explain associative theories

Question 3

What are the different names of an Occasion Setters

Answer 3

Conditional cues
Modulators
Facilitators

Set occasion for facilitation the CS->US association - conditional on their presence

Question 4

Outline occasion setting in animals using Feature-Positive Discrimination

Answer 4

Tone + light -> food = gain associative strength
Tone -> nothing lose associative strength
Reinforced trials light and tone both acquire strength
Limited associative strength available eventually light gets it all
Predicted by associative theory

Question 5

Outline Ross and Holland 1981

Answer 5

Presenting simultaneous compound of light and time
Do not know which them has associative strength
Auditory and visual stimuli elicit different behaviours
Consistent Rescorla Wagner Theory

Question 6

Outline Ross and Holland 1981 experiment on serial presentation

Answer 6

Serial presentation light first then tone then food
Rats made tone type responses of head jerking as though tone had all strength
Not predicted associative theory

Question 7

Outline Ross and Holland 1981 experiment on simulataneous presentation

Answer 7

Light tone equally close food delivery
Light always followed by food. Tone not. Light has advantage

Compared serial where light further in time from food than tone so no longer clear advantage

2 signals food better than 1
Respond same tone whether light there or not

Question 8

Outline Holland 1989 study

Answer 8

1: light -> tone -> food. Tone -> No food
2: Light -> tone -> food. Tone -> no food. Light -> no food

Group 2 no discrimination.
Positive patterning discrimination

Question 9

Outline positive patterning discrimination

Answer 9

Light extinguished group 2 doesn’t predict food
Still responding more tone when light present - although light not associated anything

Light = occasion setter. Like a switch turning association on?

Can not explain standard associative theory

Question 10

Outline Holland and Lamar’s 1984 Negative Occasion Setting - Turn off association

Answer 10

Both groups conditioned show less fear tone when light present
Light becomes conditioned inhibitor
Serial training feature nag tube discrimination made light turn tone —> shock association off

Question 11

Outline Rescorlas Modulation Theory 1985

Answer 11

Positive occasion setter lowers US activation threshold

Easier CS activate

Question 12

Outline Holland and Gates Theory 1983

Answer 12

Light acts as an and-gate allowing activation flow from CS (tone) to US (shock) and elicit a CR

Question 13

What does Rescorla 1985 suggest light do to the noise

Answer 13

Light altering activation threshold of shock and suppress fear of any stimulus associated with it

Question 14

What does Holland’s Theory suggest light do to the noise

Answer 14

Light acting as an and-gate for the tone —> shock association
Not the noise —> shock association

Question 15

What does Holland Lamarre 1984 argue

Answer 15

Rescorla wrong - already seen light no effect on noise

Shock association

Question 16

Outline Conclusions of Occasion Setters

Answer 16

Do not transfer well other CSs 
When do transfer less effect 
Supporting Holland 
Specific to training CS 
Acts on CS-US not US only 
Be contexts, places, smells, drug states 
Impaired in Schiz