Dynamics of a Classical Conditioning Model

• Published in: Autonomous robots Vol. 7; no. 1; pp. 41 - 56
• Main Authors: Balkenius, Christian, Morén, Jan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Nature B.V 01.07.1999
• Subjects: Adaptive systems; Autonomous; Complex systems; Conditioning; Learning; Machine learning; Mathematical models; Robots; Stimuli
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1008965713435
• ISSN: 0929-5593

Classical conditioning is a basic learning mechanism in animals and can be found in almost all organisms. If we want to construct robots with abilities matching those of their biological counterparts, this is one of the learning mechanisms that needs to be implemented first. This article describes a computational model of classical conditioning where the goal of learning is assumed to be the prediction of a temporally discounted reward or punishment based on the current stimulus situation.The model is well suited for robotic implementation as it models a number of classical conditioning paradigms and learning in the model is guaranteed to converge with arbitrarily complex stimulus sequences. This is an essential feature once the step is taken beyond the simple laboratory experiment with two or three stimuli to the real world where no such limitations exist. It is also demonstrated how the model can be included in a more complex system that includes various forms of sensory pre-processing and how it can handle reinforcement learning, timing of responses and function as an adaptive world model.