Abstract
Prominent accounts of Pavlovian conditioning successfully approximate the frequency and intensity of conditioned responses under the assumption that learning is exclusively model-free; that animals do not develop a cognitive map of events. However, these model-free approximations fall short of comprehensively capturing learning and behavior in Pavlovian conditioning. We therefore performed multivoxel pattern analysis of high-resolution functional MRI data in human participants to test for the encoding of stimulus-stimulus associations that could support model-based computations during Pavlovian conditioning. We found that dissociable sub-regions of the striatum encode predictions of stimulus-stimulus associations and predictive value, in a manner that is directly related to learning performance. Activity patterns in the orbitofrontal cortex were also found to be related to stimulus-stimulus as well as value encoding. These results suggest that the brain encodes model-based representations during Pavlovian conditioning, and that these representations are utilized in the service of behavior.
Highlights
Prominent accounts of Pavlovian conditioning successfully approximate the frequency and intensity of conditioned responses under the assumption that learning is exclusively modelfree; that animals do not develop a cognitive map of events
The aim of the present study was to determine if the brain encodes a cognitive map of stimulus–stimulus associations during Pavlovian conditioning
We found evidence for encoding of stimulus–stimulus associations in two regions of interest: the striatum and the orbitofrontal cortex
Summary
Prominent accounts of Pavlovian conditioning successfully approximate the frequency and intensity of conditioned responses under the assumption that learning is exclusively modelfree; that animals do not develop a cognitive map of events These model-free approximations fall short of comprehensively capturing learning and behavior in Pavlovian conditioning. Activity patterns in the orbitofrontal cortex were found to be related to stimulus-stimulus as well as value encoding These results suggest that the brain encodes model-based representations during Pavlovian conditioning, and that these representations are utilized in the service of behavior. In contrast to instrumental conditioning, computational models of Pavlovian conditioning have tended to assume exclusively MF mechanisms Such models typically implement incremental changes in predictions for conditioned stimuli (CS). Other well-established conditioning phenomena such as sensory preconditioning[12], are not explicable by conventional MF learning
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
