Classical conditioning is a type of associative learning in which connections are established between stimuli and responses. Within classical conditioning, there are two important types of conditioning: excitatory and inhibitory. These processes are fundamental to understanding how associations between stimuli are formed and modified in the context of learning and behavior.
Excitatory conditioning
Excitatory conditioning refers to the formation of associations between a previously neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus that triggers an involuntary response. In this process, the neutral stimulus acquires the ability to provoke the same response as the unconditioned stimulus. A classic example of excitatory conditioning is Ivan Pavlov's experiment with dogs, in which he associated the ringing of a bell with the presentation of food to provoke salivation in the animals at the simple sound of the bell.
Excitatory conditioning occurs when the conditioned stimulus is presented together with the unconditioned stimulus, generating an association between the two. With time and repetition of this association, the conditioned stimulus alone can elicit the conditioned response, even in the absence of the original unconditioned stimulus.
Excitatory conditioning example
Let's imagine a experiment in which the aim is to condition a mouse to associate the sound of a bell with the arrival of food. At first, the mouse shows no reaction to the ringing sound. However, by repeatedly presenting the bell just before offering food to the mouse, the mouse begins to associate the sound of the bell with food, and eventually begins to salivate upon hearing the bell, even if no food is present. In this case, the ringing becomes a conditioned stimulus that causes the conditioned response of salivation in the mouse.
Inhibitory conditioning
On the other hand, inhibitory conditioning involves the formation of an association between a conditioned stimulus and the absence of the unconditioned stimulus. In this type of conditioning, the conditioned stimulus acquires the ability to predict the absence of the unconditioned stimulus, resulting in the inhibition of the conditioned response usually associated with the unconditioned stimulus. Inhibitory conditioning is crucial in the regulation and control of conditioned responses in different contexts.
In inhibitory conditioning, the conditioned stimulus is presented together with the absence of the unconditioned stimulus that would normally elicit the conditioned response. As a result, the conditioned stimulus acquires the ability to signal the absence of the unconditioned stimulus and stop the conditioned response associated with it. This is achieved through inhibition of the conditioned response, which indicates to the organism that the presence of the unconditioned stimulus is not expected at that moment.
Example of inhibitory conditioning
Suppose that an experiment is carried out in which a dog is conditioned to associate the sound of a bell with the arrival of food, as in excitatory conditioning. However, in this case, the sound of a horn occurs along with the absence of food. Over time, the dog learns that the sound of the horn indicates that it will not receive food, resulting in the inhibition of the salivation response that would normally occur to the sound of the bell.
In summary , both excitatory and inhibitory conditioning are key processes in associative learning. While excitatory conditioning involves the association between a conditioned stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response, inhibitory conditioning involves the association between a conditioned stimulus and the absence of the unconditioned stimulus to inhibit a conditioned response. Both types of conditioning play an important role in the formation and control of conditioned responses in organisms.