PS261 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Comparator
Document Summary
Instead of emphasizing the strength of us as determiner of effectiveness of conditioning (like rw) the model focuses instead on the cs and how well it attracts attention. Assumes that surprisingness of the us on a given trial will determine what is learned on the next trial. If us is surprising, the subject attends more to cs on the next trial. The surprisingness of the us determines the attention paid to the cs on the subsequent trial which determines learning. Rw model says surprising us will determine what is learned about cs on the same trial but not the next trial. Says blocking is caused by lack of surprisingness of the us in phase 2 which causes decreased attention to the cs2 and so less learning about cs2. So if you tested the cr to cs2 after only one trial of phase 2, there should be no blocking effect however this does not happen.
