Similarity and Discrimination in Classical Conditioning: A Latent Variable Account

We propose a probabilistic, generative account of configural learning phenomena in classical conditioning. Configural learning experiments probe how animals discriminate and generalize between patterns of simultaneously presented stimuli (such as tones and lights) that are differentially predictive of reinforcement. Previous models of these issues have been successful more on a phenomenological than an explanatory level: they reproduce experimental findings but, lacking formal foundations, provide scant basis for understanding why animals behave as they do. We present a theory that clarifies seemingly arbitrary aspects of previous models while also capturing a broader set of data. Key patterns of data, e.g. concerning animals’ readiness to distinguish patterns with varying degrees of overlap, are shown to follow from statistical inference.