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Electrophysiological Correlates of Positive Reinforcement: Post-Reinforcement Synchronization, Modulation of Sensory Input, and Steady Potentials

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Brain and Human Behavior

Abstract

The empirical distinction between neuronal substrates for the positive and negative reinforcement, based on aversive (Delgado, Roberts and Miller, 1954) and rewarding properties (Olds and Milner, 1954; Heath, 1954) of electrical stimuli delivered to appropriate brain structures both in experimental animals and man brought an important element of order to our concepts of brain function. This distinction has engendered not only a broad spectrum of fruitful research but also a stimulating debate on the possible role of reward-aversion systems in the mechanisms of motivation (Olds, 1955; Miller, 1959; Livingston, 1967), in learning (cf. Magoun, 1960; 1964), and in normal and pathological brain function related to complex adaptational and psychodynamic processes (Heath, 1964; Rado, 1964; Stein, 1961; Marczynski and Hackett, 1969).

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Marczynski, T.J. (1972). Electrophysiological Correlates of Positive Reinforcement: Post-Reinforcement Synchronization, Modulation of Sensory Input, and Steady Potentials. In: Karczmar, A.G., Eccles, J.C. (eds) Brain and Human Behavior. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-95201-2_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-95201-2_17

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