The Rescorla-Wagner model predicts that in a series of trials with a single,novel CS,the increase in associative strength per trial
A)will be the same on every trial
B)will be greatest on the first few trials
C)will be greatest on the last few trials
D)will be greatest in the middle of training

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Rescorla-Wagner model predicts that the increase in associative strength will be greatest on the first few trials, and will decrease as the conditioning progresses. This is because the associative strength increases as the strength of the CS-US pairing becomes more predictable, and since the pairing is novel at the beginning, the increase in associative strength is greater. However, as the CS-US pairing becomes more predictable, there is less room for increase in associative strength, resulting in a decrease in the rate of learning.

The Rescorla-Wagner Model Predicts That in a Series of Trials