BEHAVIOR SYSTEMS, ASSOCIATIONISM, AND PAVLOVIAN CONDITIONING

Associative and behavior systems accounts of Pavlovian conditioning ha ve different emphases. The traditional associative account has focused on the role of the unconditional stimulus (US) in strengthening stimu lus associations according to a set of general laws. The behavior syst ems account has focused on the relation of conditional responding to t he preorganized perceptual, motor, and motivational organization engag ed by the US. Knowledge of a behavior system enables successful predic tion of the form and ease of conditioning as a function of the type of conditional stimulus (CS), US, and the CS-US relation. At the same ti me, Pavlovian manipulations act as a window on how a behavior system w orks. Both associative and behavior systems accounts can be criticized as incomplete and idiosyncratic. A comprehensive account of Pavlovian conditioning could profit from their integration.