Social influence on avoidance of dangerous stimuli by rats

White, David J.; Galef, Bennett G.

doi:10.3758/bf03199236

Cited by 23 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Studies on observational aversive learning in rats failed to find blocking, latent inhibition and overshadowing-three well-documented features of classical conditioning [64]; however, studies in humans reported classical conditioning features for social aversive learning, including overshadowing and blocking [65], implying that observation might serve as a US.…”

Section: Observational and Social Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

How placebo responses are formed: a learning perspective

Colloca

Miller

2011

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

267

247

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Despite growing scientific interest in the placebo effect and increasing understanding of neurobiological mechanisms, theoretical conceptualization of the placebo effect remains poorly developed. Substantial mechanistic research on this phenomenon has proceeded with little guidance by any systematic theoretical paradigm. This review seeks to present a theoretical perspective on the formation of placebo responses. We focus on information processing, and argue that different kinds of learning along with individuals' genetic make-up evolved as the proximate cause for triggering behavioural and neural mechanisms that enable the formation of individual expectations and placebo responses. Conceptualizing the placebo effect in terms of learning offers the opportunity for facilitating scientific investigation with a significant impact on medical care.

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Section: Observational and Social Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

How placebo responses are formed: a learning perspective

Colloca

Miller

2011

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

267

247

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“…Many species, including invertebrates, acquire emotionally neutral behaviors by observational learning [5, 10]. This process can also contribute to the acquisition of aversively-motivated behaviors [1, 19, 30, 35, 38], although not in all paradigms [6, 42]. Interestingly, unlike social modulation of pain hypersensitivity [24], observational learning is not limited to known conspecifics, and may be even intensified by observations of individuals of different strains [40].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social modeling of conditioned fear in mice by non-fearful conspecifics

Guzmán

Tronson

Guedea

et al. 2009

Behavioural Brain Research

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Social interactions with conspecifics markedly alter the neuroendocrine, behavioral and emotional responses to stressful events. Some of these effects involve observational learning and result in lasting changes of fear-motivated behavior. While most evidence reveals increased fearfulness after observation of fearful demonstrators (models) in a number of species, a few reports from human and non-human primates indicate that observational learning can also attenuate some forms of fear. In the present study, we set out to determine the effects of social modeling and observational learning on fear conditioning in the mouse. Observers were pre-exposed to a novel context in the presence of fearful (F group) or non-fearful (NF group) demonstrators. Mice of the F group acquired control levels of conditioned fear. On the other hand, mice of the NF group exhibited profound and persistent reduction of fear. The decrease of fear in NF observers was most likely due to context-specific impairments of fear conditioning, as revealed by selective effects on long- but not short-term contextual fear memory, and normal fear conditioning in response to a novel context or cue. The effect was lasting, but constrained by the shock intensity. Attenuation of fear conditioning resulting from interactions with non-fearful conspecifics was largely, but not entirely, mediated by vicarious learning. These findings identify an important social buffering process serving to prevent a lasting induction of fear in response to isolated, moderately intense stressful events.

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“…Extant research across species suggests that observational fear learning draws upon similar neural circuitry to that of Pavlovian fear conditioning, although some notable differences between these types of learning have been documented (see Bennet, Galef, & Durlach, 1993;Lancet & Orr, 1980;White & Galef, 1998). The research reviewed here and elsewhere (Olsson et al, 2007) suggests the amygdala and the surrounding brain structures that mediate empathically driven appraisals of another's aversive experience support the learning and expression of observational fear.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 84%