Blocking and unblocking in human causal learning

Three experiments sought to develop the suggestion that, under some circumstances, common associative learning mechanisms might underlie animal conditioning and human causal learning, by demonstrating, in humans, an effect analogous to the unblocking by reinforcer omission observed in animal conditioning. Experiment 1 found no such effect. Experiment 2, designed to prevent inhibitory influences that might have masked excitatory unblocking in Experiment 1, demonstrated unblocking, indicating common human-animal associative learning mechanisms in which the associability of a stimulus varies as a function of its predictive history. Experiment 3, using a similar design but with a procedure promoting application of rational inference processes, failed to detect the same unblocking effect, indicating that associative and cognitive mechanisms may influence human causal learning.     

Unblocking in Pavlovian fear conditioning

Six experiments used rats to study blocking and unblocking of fear learning. An excitatory stimulus (A) blocked fear learning to a neutral stimulus (B). Unblocking of B occurred if the AB compound signaled an increase in unconditioned stimulus (US) intensity or number. Assessments of associative change during blocking showed that more was learned about B than A. Such assessments during unblocking revealed that more was learned about B than A following an increase in US intensity but not US number. These US manipulations had no differential effects on single-cue learning. The results show that variations in US intensity or number produce unblocking of fear learning, but for each there is a different profile of associative change and a potentially different mechanism.     

Increasing the writing productivity of ‘blocked’ academicians

Individual case histories of six academicians who sought treatment for complaints of an inability to do professional writing are presented. All were exposed to a treatment program of at least a year's duration that included weekly therapy sessions and attendance at group support meetings as regular treatment components. Use of a contracted, external contingency was manipulated experimentally in an ABAB design. The results (measured in terms of numbers of verified pages of writing) indicate that while general treatment components were adequate to produce sporadic writing, use of an external contingency was necessary for the establishment of stable levels of productivity over extended periods of scheduled writing days and at follow-ups a year beyond treatment. Two of the writers required recontracting for a second external contingency before that stability was achieved. A third, who was referred as potentially suicidal over her writing problems, was treated with a lengthy program of successive approximations to formal composition. Taken together, the data of these subjects suggest that writing ‘blocks’ can be treated effectively with conventional behavioral techniques, especially that of contingency management.     

An object relations view of creative process and group process

This article describes a unique writing group experience. Members of the writing group undergo an intensive object relations working-through process. They experience the individual dynamics of their internal editors. They work on conflicts over shame,guilt,and envy that reinforce hostile reactions of the internal editor. In this way,they resolve blocks to the creative process,produce writing,get feedback, give expression to the internal voice,and find the format or formats most appropriate for their unique modes of self-expression. They also help each other mourn the internal parents who constitute the internal editor composite. The mutual grieving process enlarges the inner space for creative self-expression. In sum,this article illustrates the interaction of group process with object relations intrapsychic process.     

Functional disconnection in pure alexia and color naming deficit demonstrated by facilitation methods.

The authors suggest that the possible combinations of pure alexia with concomitant neuropsychological symptoms form a continuum determined by the extent and severity of the brain lesion. The disconnection mechanism underlying these syndromes is demonstrated by the facilitating effect of unblocking methods (in the tactile, somesthetic, auditory, and visual modality) on the reading performance of a pertinent case. In the unblocking situation, other pathways than the one impaired by the brain lesion are used. It is proposed that the color naming deficit is associated with defective verbal identification of graphemic stimuli because of their common linguistic features. The delineation from aphasic color naming and reading deficit is discussed.