A REAL-TIME NEURONAL MODEL OF CLASSICAL-CONDITIONING

A new neuronal model of classical conditioning is proposed. The model, called the delay-producing connections (or DPC) model, is an extensio n of Klopf's (1988) drive-reinforcement model and Sutton and Barto's ( 1981) model. The DPC model makes two contributions: it represents the trace of each conditioned stimulus (CS) by a differential equation; an d it replaces each CS in the activation rule by its CS trace, which is assumed to be equal to the CS eligibility The DPC model reproduces th e usual shape of a conditioned response, the curve of efficacy of cond itioning as a function of the interstimulus interval (ISI), the depend ence of the optimally on CS duration, the extinction of a conditioned response [even for long-lasting CSs as opposed to Klopf's (1988) model ], and several other properties of classical conditioning.