This research uses a new approach, termed "activation-elicitation theory," to study how the information present in an event is combined with the emotional processes it evokes to shape the organism's response. The research focuses on two simple learning paradigms, classical conditioning and habituation, that are common to many species and situations. An essential idea of the analysis is that we can make significant progress toward understanding the nature of human reactions to complex situations by elucidating how prior learning and current emotional state influence behavior in simplified paradigms like these. The immediate goal of the research is to measure the relative contributions of prior learning and emotional responsiveness to performance, using one of the "model systems" of modern psychobiology, the eyeblink reflex system of rabbits. Activation-elicitation theory prescribes methods for making such measurements, which should lead to revised estimates of emotive processes in these examples of simple learning. For example, certain procedures thought to promote new learning may actually be effective because they produce emotional changes as well. Clarifying this issue has both theoretical and practical significance. Researchers often use classical conditioning to study the formation of simple associations, assuming that higher levels of conditioned responding corresponds to stronger associations or more information. A practical example of such reasoning is to consider a drug or surgical treatment that increases conditioned responding to be a potential aid to learning and memory. The present approach sharply questions the validity of such an interpretation; increased responding may only indicate an effect of the treatment on emotional responsiveness. The long-range goal of this research is to improve our knowledge of simple adaptive processes. Such knowledge is essential for progress in understanding the biological basis of learning and memory.
