Excitatory vs Inhibitory Conditioning

Looks like you’ve just added another Whopper to your total tally (when have they ever disappointed?). But let’s take a moment to reflect on how you ended up there. Picture yourself strolling down the street when you spot the iconic Burger King logo out of the corner of your eye. Instantly, it signals that a Whopper is within reach. This logo acts as an Excitatory Stimulus, or CS+. CS stands for Conditioned Stimulus (the logo) while the “+” indicates the availability of the Whopper, which serves as the Unconditioned Stimulus in this context. When the CS indicates the availability/presence of the US, it is termed Excitatory Conditioning.

Now, fast forward to the next day. You decide to revisit BK (really?), but this time, you’ve brought along your friend Marshall, who’s on a quest to find the best burger in town. But as you step inside, your heart sinks at the sight of a “SOLD OUT” sign plastered across the Whopper. No worries; let’s just come back tomorrow, right? But guess what? It’s still sold out. Before long, that “SOLD OUT” sign transforms into an Inhibitory Stimulus, CS-. In this scenario, the sign becomes a Conditioned Stimulus that conditions you to recognize the absence of the Unconditioned Stimulus (the Whopper). The “-” indicates the absence or unavailability of the US. Essentially, you’re being trained by this Inhibitory Stimulus to suppress your Conditioned Response (CR)—your heightened hunger and salivation.

It’s important to note that Inhibitory Conditioning isn’t the same as Extinction. While both involve suppressing a Conditioned Response, Extinction pertains to the gradual decline of that response when the CS is no longer followed by the US. Remember from “The 5 Principles of Classical Conditioning” that Extinction happened when you saw Burger King but never went inside to indulge in a Whopper. The CS was never followed by the US, so the CR faded away. In contrast, Inhibitory Conditioning teaches you to recognize when an Unconditioned Stimulus is unavailable. That “SOLD OUT” sign conditioned you to suppress your hunger and salivation because, well, no Whopper for you!

Before you head out, you manage to convince Marshall to give the Impossible Whopper a shot—a vegan twist on the iconic burger. Marshall picks up the burger, glances at you, and then places it back down, saying, “We’re going.”

References:

Domjan, M. P. (2018). Principles of learning and behavior. Cengage Learning.