A new study from Tel Aviv University suggests that the brain can only engage in one type of learning system at a time, either classical or operant conditioning. Researchers found that when trying to learn two conflicting actions simultaneously, the result is confusion and difficulty in performing either action.
The study used fruit flies to demonstrate this phenomenon. The flies were trained to associate a smell with an electric shock using both classical and operant conditioning. As a result, the flies became confused and failed to exhibit a clear response to the shock.
Classical conditioning involves passive associations between two stimuli, while operant conditioning involves active behavior that produces a positive or negative outcome. For years, scientists believed that these types of memory worked together in the brain. However, the Tel Aviv University researchers discovered that the brain actively suppresses the formation of both types of memories at the same time.
When the researchers taught the flies to associate a smell with an electric shock using classical conditioning, they learned to freeze when they smelled the conditioned odor. In contrast, when operant conditioning was used, the flies learned to flee from the smell to avoid the electric shock.
The study highlights the brain’s ability to engage in a “mental tug-of-war” between these two learning systems. If one system is focused on learning through actions, the other system is blocked, preventing confusion but also limiting the brain’s ability to learn multiple things simultaneously.
This discovery has significant implications for our understanding of human learning and may lead to new strategies for treating learning disorders such as ADHD or Alzheimer’s disease.
Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-brain-war-classical-conditioning.html