Modulation of CS-Associability in Discrimination Learning

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Associability plays a central role in most current theories of associative learning and refers to the ease with which the associative property of a stimulus can be altered due to experience. During the first period of funding, we investigated whether the associability of a stimulus is encoded context-specific. In addition, we examined whether changes in associability lead to perseveration and learned irrelevance. Perseveration refers to a tendency to orientate responding according to stimuli belonging to a previously relevant dimension. Learned Irrelevance refers to a tendency to ignore stimuli from a previously irrelevant dimension.Through our work so far, we were able to demonstrate that the associability of a stimulus can be modulated by the stimuli that accompany it. In addition, we found evidence that especially the impact of perseveration depends on the amount of training of the previously relevant dimension. At present, there exists no learning theory which is able to explain our results from the first funding period. The second funding period aims at specifying the theoretical implications of our work to date. For this purpose, we want to investigate in more detail under which conditions the associability of a stimulus comes under the control of contextual stimuli. In addition, we want to further investigate our hypothesis that especially the impact of perseveration depends on the amount of training of the previously relevant dimension. Moreover, we want to examine whether changes in associability are guided by stimulus relevance or by stimulus-outcome correlations. Our expected findings would strongly advise to a modification of very influential theories of associative learning.