For the last 22 years, we have demonstrated, using rats in Pavlovian preparations, that many """"""""deficits"""""""" in learned behavior (e.g., overshadowing, blocking, and effects of preexposure to conditioned or unconditioned stimuli [CSs or USs]) are due, at least in part, to processes that occur at the time of expression, rather than during acquisition as is assumed by most contemporary models of associative learning. Our data prompted us to reject the traditional associative position, which states that over a series of training trials subjects learn only a few summary statistics, and encourages the view that subjects encode a rich, nearly veridical representation of their experiences. To direct our research, we developed the """"""""comparator hypothesis,"""""""" which is a performance-focused rule for translating knowledge acquired through simple spatio-temporal contiguity into behavior. As we and others published ever more data problematic for the traditional associative emphasis on acquisition processes, researchers started acknowledging the importance of post-training information processing. Some investigators concurred with our performance-focused account of these findings. But other researchers modified existing acquisition-focused models to allow new learning about a previously trained CS on post-training trials on which the CS is absent. These revised acquisition-focused models can account for much of the data that we had viewed as uniquely supportive of our performance-focused account. This stimulated us to extend the comparator hypothesis, formalize it in a mathematical implementation (SOCR), and design experiments for which these new acquisition-focused models and the extended comparator hypothesis make divergent predictions. The proposed experiments will discriminate between these two types of models, thereby contributing to a more complete understanding of learning, memory, and acquired behavior, and directing the agenda of scientists concerned with the neurophysiological basis of learning and memory.
| Miller, Ralph R; Polack, Cody W (2018) Sources of maladaptive behavior in 'normal' organisms. Behav Processes 154:4-12 |
| Seitz, Benjamin M; Polack, Cody W; Miller, Ralph R (2018) Adaptive memory: Is there a reproduction-processing effect? J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn 44:1167-1179 |
| Polack, Cody W; Miller, Ralph R (2018) Associative structure of conditioned inhibition produced by inhibitory perceptual learning treatment. Learn Behav : |
| Craddock, Paul; Wasserman, Jessica S; Polack, Cody W et al. (2018) Associative structure of second-order conditioning in humans. Learn Behav 46:171-181 |
| Miguez, Gonzalo; McConnell, Bridget; Polack, Cody W et al. (2018) Proactive interference by cues presented without outcomes: Differences in context specificity of latent inhibition and conditioned inhibition. Learn Behav 46:265-280 |
| Urushihara, Kouji; Miller, Ralph R (2017) Causal superlearning arising from interactions among cues. J Exp Psychol Anim Learn Cogn 43:183-196 |
| Polack, Cody W; Jozefowiez, Jérémie; Miller, Ralph R (2017) Stepping back from 'persistence and relapse' to see the forest: Associative interference. Behav Processes 141:128-136 |
| Witnauer, James E; Hutchings, Ryan; Miller, Ralph R (2017) Methods of comparing associative models and an application to retrospective revaluation. Behav Processes 144:20-32 |
| Laborda, Mario A; Schofield, Casey A; Johnson, Emily M et al. (2016) The Extinction and Return of Fear of Public Speaking. Behav Modif 40:901-921 |
| Soares, Julia S; Polack, Cody W; Miller, Ralph R (2016) Retrieval-induced versus context-induced forgetting: Does retrieval-induced forgetting depend on context shifts? J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn 42:366-78 |
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