Abstract
The effect of using a short intertriai interval (ITI) in eyeblink classical conditioning in humans was examined. The performance of normal young adults in 750-msec delay conditioning was compared at ITIs of 5, 10, and 30 sec. All groups successfully acquired the task. Performance of each ITI group was similar for pseudoconditioning, conditioning, and extinction trials. Use of shorter ITIs during eyeblink conditioning should reduce test time and possible subject boredom or inattention, thus making the eyeblink conditioning task more useful as part of a neuropsychological test battery for evaluating brain damage and drug effectiveness. Shorter ITIs would also allow eyeblink classical conditioning to be used in concert with other technologies, such as PET scanning, to assess functional activity of the brain during learning.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Akase, E., Thompson, L. T., & Disterhoft, J. F. (1994). A system for quantitative analysis of associative learning: Part 2. Real-time software for MS-DOS microcomputers. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 54, 119–121.
Blaxton, T. A., Zeffiro, T. A., Gabrieli, J. D. E., Bookheimer, S. Y., Carrillo, M. C., Theodore, W. H., & Disterhoft, J. F. (1996). A functional mapping of human learning: A PET activation study of eyeblink conditioning. Journal of Neuroscience, 16, 4032–4040.
Channon, S., Daum, I., & Gray, J. A. (1993). Operant conditioning after temporal lesions in man: Conditional and simple discrimination learning. Cortex, 29, 315–324.
Coleman, S. R., & Webster, S. (1988). The problem of volition and the conditioned reflex: II. Voluntary-responding subjects, 1951-1980. Behaviorism, 16, 17–49.
Daum, I., Channon, S., Polkey, C. E., & Gray, J. A. (1991). Classical conditioning after temporal lobe lesions in man: Impairment in conditional discrimination. Behavioral Neuroscience, 105, 396–408.
Daum, I., Schugens, M. M., Ackermann, H., Lutzenberger, W., Dichgans, J., & Birbaumer, N. (1993). Classical conditioning after cerebellar lesions in humans. Behavioral Neuroscience, 107, 748–756.
Disterhoft, J. F., Kwan, H. H., & Lo, W. D. (1977). Nictitating membrane conditioning to tone in the immobilized albino rabbit. Brain Research, 137, 127–143.
Disterhoft, J. F., Thompson, L. T. & Moyer, J. R., Jr. (1994). Cellular mechanisms of associative learning in the hippocampus. In J. Delacour (Ed.), Neural mechanisms of learning and memory (pp. 431–492). Singapore: World Scientific.
Ferrante, L. S., & Woodruff-Pak, D. S. (1995). Longitudinal investigation of eyeblink classical conditioning in elderly human subjects. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 50B, P42–P50.
Folstein, M. F., Folstein, S. E., & McHugh, P. R. (1975). “Minimental state”: A practical method for grading cognitive state of patients for the clinician. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 12, 189–198.
Gabrieli, J. D. E., McGlinchey-Berroth, R., Carrillo, M. C., Gluck, M. A., Cermak, L. S., & Disterhoft, J. F. (1995). Intact delay-eyeblink conditioning in amnesia. Behavioral Neuroscience, 109, 819–827.
Gormezano, I. (1966). Classical conditioning. In J. B. Sidowski (Ed.), Experimental methods and instrumentation in psychology (pp. 385–420). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Gormezano, I., & Moore, J. W. (1962). Effects of instructional set and UCS intensity on the latency, percentage, and form of the eyelid response. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 63, 487–494.
Gormezano, I., & Moore, J. W. (1969). Classical conditioning. In M. H. Marx (Ed.), Learning processes (pp. 385–420). New York: Macmillan.
Hoehler, F. K., & Thompson, R. F. (1980). Effect of the interstimulus (CS-US) interval on hippocampal unit activity during classical conditioning of the nictitating membrane response of the rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Journal of Comparative & Physiological Psychology, 94, 201–215.
Little, A. H., Lippsitt, L. P., & Rovee-Collier, C. (1984). Classical conditioning and retention of the infant’s eyelid response: Effects of age and interstimulus interval. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 37, 512–524.
Logan, C. G., & Grafton, S. T. (1995). Functional anatomy of human eyeblink conditioning determined with regional cerebral glucose metabolism and positron-emission tomography. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 92, 7500–7504.
McGlinchey-Berroth, R., Cermak, L. S., Carrillo, M. C., Armfield, S., Gabrieli, J. D. E., & Disterhoft, J. F. (1995). Impaired eyeblink conditioning in amnesic Korsakoff’s patients and recovered alcoholics. Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, 19, 1127–1132.
Molchan, S. E., Sunderland, T., McIntosh, A. R., Herscovitch, P., & Schreurs, B. G. (1994). A functional anatomical study of associative learning in humans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 91, 8122–8126.
Moyer, J. R., Deyo, R. A., & Disterhoft, J. F. (1990). Hippocampectomy disrupts trace eye-blink conditioning in rabbits. Behavioral Neuroscience, 104, 242–252.
Prokasy, W. F. (1965). Stimulus fluctuation, reactive inhibition, and time between trials in classical eyelid conditioning. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 70, 464–472.
Prokasy, W. F., Grant, D. A., & Myers, N. A. (1958). Eyelid conditioning as a function of unconditioned stimulus intensity and inter-trial interval. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 55, 242–246.
Solomon, P. R., Blanchard, S., Levine, E., Velazquez, E., & Groccia-Ellison, M. (1991). Attenuation of age-related conditioning deficits in humans by extension of the interstimulus interval. Psychology & Aging, 6, 36–42.
Solomon, P. R., Flint Beal, M., & Pendlebury, W. W. (1988). Age-related disruption of classical conditioning: A model systems approach to memory disorders. Neurobiology of Aging, 9, 535–546.
Solomon, P. R., & Morse, D. L. (1989). Acquisition of the classically conditioned eyeblink response in humans over the life span. Psychology & Aging, 4, 34–41.
Solomon, P. R., Pomerleau, D., Bennett, L., James, J., & Morse, D. L. (1989). Acquisition of the classically conditioned eyeblink response in humans over the lifespan. Psychology & Aging, 3, 34–41.
Solomon, P. R., Stowe, G. T., & Pendlebury, W. W. (1990). Disrupted eyelid conditioning in a patient with damage to the cerebellar inputs. Behavioral Neuroscience, 103, 898–902.
Spence, K. W., & Norris, E. B. (1950). Eyelid conditioning as a function of the inter-trial interval. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 40, 716–720.
Spence, K. W., & Ross, L. E. (1959). A methodological study of the form and latency of eyelid responses in conditioning. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 58, 376–381.
Spence, K. W., & Taylor, J. (1951). Anxiety and strength of the UCS as determiners of the amount of eyelid conditioning. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 42, 183–188.
Steinmetz, J. E. (1990). Classical nictitating membrane conditioning in rabbits with varying interstimulus intervals and direct activation of cerebellar mossy fibers as the CS. Behavioural Brain Research, 38, 97–108.
Thompson, L. T., Moskal, J. R., & Disterhoft, J. F. (1992). Hippocampus-dependent learning facilitated by a monoclonal antibody or d-cycloserine. Nature, 359, 638–641.
Thompson, L. T., Mover, J. R., Akase, E., & Disterhoft, J. F. (1994). A system for quantitative analysis of associative learning: Part 1. Hardware interfaces with cross-species applications. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 54, 109–117.
Thompson, R. F. (1991). Are memory traces localized or distributed? Neuropsychologia, 29, 571–582.
Thompson, R. F., Berger, T. W., Cegavske, C. F., Patterson, M. M., Roemer, R. A., Teyler, T. J., & Young, R. A. (1976). A search for the engram. American Psychologist, 31, 209–227.
Weiskrantz, L., & Warrington, E. K. (1979). Conditioning in amnesic patients. Neuropsychologia, 17, 187–194.
Woodruff-Pak, D. S. (1988). Aging and classical conditioning: Parallel studies in rabbits and humans. Neurobiology of Aging, 9, 511–522.
Woodruff-Pak, D. S., Finkbiner, R. G., & Katz, I. R. (1989). A model system demonstrating parallels in animal and human aging: Extension to Alzheimer’s disease. In E. M. Meyer, J. W. Simpkins, & J. Yamamoto (Eds.), Novel approaches to the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (pp. 355–371). New York: Plenum.
Woodruff-Pak, D. S., & Thompson, R. F. (1988). Classical conditioning of the eyeblink response in the delay paradigm in adults aged 18-83 years. Psychology & Aging, 3, 219–229.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This research was supported by NIH Grants F31 GM 17223 to M.C.C., AG08796 to J.F.D., and RR-00048 to the Clinical Research Center at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Carrillo, M.C., Thompson, L.T., Gabrieli, J.D.E. et al. Variation of the intertriai interval in human classical conditioning. Psychobiology 25, 152–157 (1997). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03331921
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03331921