Excitatory And Inhibitory Conditioning: How They Work, And Examples
Excitatory and inhibitory conditioning are two very relevant phenomena within the theory of classical or Pavlovian conditioning. The excitatory would be that which occurs when a conditioned stimulus provokes a response similar to the unconditioned response that had caused the unconditioned stimulus.
On the other hand, inhibitory would be what occurs when a conditioned stimulus, when conditioning occurs, acquires antagonistic or opposite properties with respect to those acquired by a conditioned stimulus in excitatory conditioning.
In this article we will see what excitatory and inhibitory conditioning consists of and to do this we will use some examples that provide readers with a greater understanding of both phenomena.
Conditioning is a foundational concept in behavioral psychology, referring to the way behaviors are learned through associations between stimuli and responses. Two primary forms of conditioning, excitatory and inhibitory , play significant roles in how organisms, including humans, respond to their environments. Let’s explore these two forms in more depth.
Excitatory conditioning occurs when a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus that naturally elicits a response. As a result, the previously neutral stimulus comes to elicit a similar response on its own.
How It Works:
An unconditioned stimulus (US) , such as food, naturally evokes an unconditioned response (UR), like salivation in dogs.
A neutral stimulus (NS) , like the sound of a bell, is repeatedly presented alongside the unconditioned stimulus.
Over time, the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS) that triggers a conditioned response (CR) , such as salivation, even in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus.
Example:
Pavlov’s Dogs : Ivan Pavlov’s famous experiment demonstrated excitatory conditioning. By ringing a bell each time food was presented to dogs, Pavlov conditioned them to salivate at the sound of the bell alone.
Applications:
Fear Conditioning : A person who experiences trauma after seeing a spider may later have a fear response (increased heart rate, sweating) to the mere sight of a spider.
Advertising : Positive emotions evoked by appealing images in ads can be transferred to a product, making consumers more likely to buy it.
Inhibitory conditioning involves learning that a particular stimulus signals the absence of an unconditioned stimulus, leading to a suppression or reduction of the conditioned response. Essentially, it teaches the organism that the presence of one stimulus means a significant event will not occur.
How It Works:
An unconditioned stimulus (US) that naturally causes a response is expected in a given situation.
A neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned inhibitor when its presence signals that the unconditioned stimulus will not occur.
The organism learns to reduce or inhibit its usual response in the presence of the inhibitory stimulus.
Example:
Guard Dog Scenario : If a person associates a barking dog with a potential bite (excitatory conditioning), but then learns that when the dog’s owner is present the dog won’t bite, the owner’s presence becomes an inhibitory signal that reduces fear.
Applications:
Safety Signals : In environments where danger is common, certain signals may indicate safety. For example, seeing a lifeguard at a beach may reduce anxiety about swimming.
Emotional Regulation : If a child learns that a parent is calm and won’t punish them when they hear soothing music playing, that music can serve as an inhibitory cue that reduces fear.
Differences Between Excitatory and Inhibitory Conditioning
Aspect
Excitatory Conditioning
Inhibitory Conditioning
Stimulus Association
Signals the presence of an unconditioned stimulus
Signals the absence of an unconditioned stimulus
Response
Elicits or increases a conditioned response
Suppresses or reduces a conditioned response
Example
Salivating to a bell associated with food
Feeling relaxed when hearing a safety signal in a stressful context
Basic concepts of classical or Pavlovian conditioning
Before going on to explain excitatory and inhibitory conditioning, we consider it convenient to give a few brief touches on some concepts that are fundamental to understanding the theory of classical conditioning, so that the key concepts that are intended to be explained here can be better understood. article.
1. Unconditioned stimulus (US)
An unconditioned stimulus is a stimulus that has sufficient intensity or quality to provoke a response in an organism without the need for him to have previous experience to produce said response.
2. Unconditioned response (IR)
An unconditioned response would be that type of response on the part of an organism that has been triggered by the appearance of an unconditioned stimulus
3. Neutral stimulus (EN)
A neutral stimulus would be that stimulus that does not cause any effect on the organism and its behavior, so it does not produce any response to the appearance of a stimulus of this type
A conditioned stimulus would be that type of stimulus emerged as a result of the association between an unconditioned stimulus and a neutral stimulus In this case, the neutral stimulus acquires the properties of the unconditioned stimulus, thus becoming a conditioned stimulus and will be able to provoke in an organism a response similar to the unconditioned response, and in this case it would be known as the conditioned response.
5. Conditioned response (CR)
Finally, the conditioned response would be that response that the conditioned stimulus is capable of eliciting in an organism once the association has occurred previously mentioned, between the neutral stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus.
Examples of excitatory conditioning
The best-known example of excitatory conditioning would be the experiment carried out by the Russian physiologist Ivan Petrovich Pavlov with some dogs In this experiment, he was able to observe at the end of it that the dogs secreted saliva when they heard the sound of a bell (EN previously; then EC), which had previously been associated with food (EI).
Although previously the bell (EN) was not capable of causing this salivation in the dogs, when it was presented repeatedly together with the food (EI), which was capable of generating salivation in these animals, after several trials, the dogs began to salivate upon hearing only the sound of the bell (CS), without food being present.
An everyday example in which this phenomenon known as excitatory confinement could occur, which occurs when we feel discomfort when thinking about a food because some time ago we had felt bad in our stomach after eating it, even if it were not because it was in bad condition, since It could be because we were intolerant to said food or even because we had eaten too much that day. Therefore, this phenomenon of excitatory conditioning will cause us to want to eat that food again.
Examples of inhibitory conditioning
In everyday life, an inhibitory conditioning process would be one that occurs in a situation in which something is introduced that serves to prevent the result that would otherwise occur. Â For example, when we see a red traffic light for pedestrians at the moment when we want to cross the street through a zebra crossing at a busy intersection, we are facing an excitatory conditioned stimulus signal of potential danger (unconditioned stimulus), which It could occur if we cross that street with the red light because we could be run over.
On the other hand, if a police officer or a municipal official tells us that we can cross the zebra crossing without waiting for the traffic light to turn green, since the agent’s instructions prevail over the traffic signs, it is quite unlikely that we will reach have an accident, since it is logical that you have previously indicated to the vehicles to stop so that pedestrians can cross the zebra crossing.
So, here we can propose that it is unlikely that the red light of the traffic light (excitatory conditioned stimulus) together with the agent’s gestures (inhibitory conditioned stimulus) could be followed by danger since the policeman’s gestures act as an inhibitory conditioned stimulus, thus managing to block or inhibit our initial refusal to cross the zebra crossing with the red pedestrian light, this being then a case of inhibitory conditioning.
One of the most common procedures to provoke inhibitory conditioning is through the differential procedure and when one is in the acquisition phase of a certain behavior, excitatory trials are used jointly with other inhibitory trials that are presented randomly throughout the experiment.
Thus, in excitatory tests, the conditioned stimulus is systematically followed by the unconditioned stimulus; However, in inhibitory tests, this does not occur.
Another example that could serve to illustrate inhibitory conditioning would be that case in which a child who has a phobia of dogs and fears that they may bite him as a sign of danger (excitatory conditioned stimulus), but when the child is accompanied by his mother (inhibitory conditioned stimulus) he is not afraid that the dog could bite him.
Real-World Implications
In Education
Teachers use excitatory conditioning by providing positive reinforcement (e.g., praise or rewards) to encourage desired behaviors.
Inhibitory conditioning can help in classroom management. For example, when a particular signal (like a bell) indicates that a break is over and students should return to quiet work, students learn to inhibit their playful behavior.
In Therapy
Exposure Therapy : Used to treat phobias, where excitatory conditioning is undone by repeatedly presenting a feared stimulus without any negative outcome.
Cognitive-Behavioral Techniques : Patients may learn inhibitory cues that help them manage anxiety or stress, such as using relaxation techniques to signal safety.
Understanding how excitatory and inhibitory conditioning shape behavior can offer insights into various psychological treatments, educational strategies, and methods for behavior modification.
