Neural Mechanisms Of Goal Directed Behavior And Learning

Neural Mechanisms of Goal-Directed Behavior and Learning provides information pertinent to the neuronal mechanisms of motivation and learning. This book focuses on the theoretical frameworks within which researchers analyze specific problems. Organized into six parts encompassing 39 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the problem of goal-directed behavior that occupies a central position in psychology. This text then examines the behavioral investigations that are directed at delineating the role of contiguity and determining the possible mechanisms of reinforcement in classical defense and reward conditioning. Other chapters consider the homeostatic regulation of various functions, such as nutrition, temperature, respiration, blood pressure, and fluid and electrolyte balance. This book discusses as well the effects of experimental treatments on memory. The final chapter deals with the relationship between perception and memory. This book is a valuable resource for psychologists and scientists. Graduate students in behavioral neuroscience will also find this book useful.

Goal-Directed Decision Making: Computations and Neural Circuits examines the role of goal-directed choice. It begins with an examination of the computations performed by associated circuits, but then moves on to in-depth examinations on how goal-directed learning interacts with other forms of choice and response selection. This is the only book that embraces the multidisciplinary nature of this area of decision-making, integrating our knowledge of goal-directed decision-making from basic, computational, clinical, and ethology research into a single resource that is invaluable for neuroscientists, psychologists and computer scientists alike. The book presents discussions on the broader field of decision-making and how it has expanded to incorporate ideas related to flexible behaviors, such as cognitive control, economic choice, and Bayesian inference, as well as the influences that motivation, context and cues have on behavior and decision-making. Details the neural circuits functionally involved in goal-directed decision-making and the computations these circuits perform Discusses changes in goal-directed decision-making spurred by development and disorders, and within real-world applications, including social contexts and addiction Synthesizes neuroscience, psychology and computer science research to offer a unique perspective on the central and emerging issues in goal-directed decision-making

Attention is a key psychological construct in the understanding of human cognition, and the target of enormous efforts to elucidate its physiological mechanisms, as the wealth of literature—both primary and secondary—attests (for recent compilations see Itti, Rees, & Tsotsos, 2005; Paletta & Rome, 2008; Posner, 2004). But in addition to asking what attention actually is, decomposing and analyzing its varieties, or delimiting its neurobiological mechanisms and effects, in this volume we want to explore attention somewhat differently. We believe that a full-fledged theory of attention must consider its workings in the context of motivated, goal-directed, and environmentally constrained organisms. That attention is related to goal-directed behavior is not news. What the contri- tions to this volume do suggest, however, is the existence of fundamental links between attention and two key processes that are crucial for adapted conduct: go- directed behavior and cognitive control. Importantly, they show that these relations can be explored at multiple levels, including neurodynamical, neurochemical, evo- tionary, and clinical aspects, and that in doing so multiple methodological challenges arise that are worth considering and pursuing. The reader will find here, therefore, a selection of contributions that range from basic mechanisms of attention at the n- ronal level to developmental aspects of cognitive control and its impairments. Another trend that will become evident is that, in different ways, the authors stress the need to understand these issues as they unfold in natural behavior (both healthy and pathological), thus arguing for a more ecological approach to these questions.

The objective of this series is to provide concise and critical information on current advances in the different domains of sensory physiology. It will be of interest to all who want to keep abreast of the latest developments in the field - from the level of the receptor to that of the cortex, including neuropsychological and psychophysical aspects.

Originally published in 1987, the purpose of this title was to develop a conceptual framework for understanding individual humans as complex, functional entities. It was felt that a sound developmental theory of human personality and behaviour would help synthesize existing scientific and clinical information into a coherent representation of a person as a functional unit, guide future research, and facilitate the work of the health and human services professions. The volume is aimed at a multidisciplinary-multiprofessional audience.

The study of personality has a long history and many different theoretical viewpoints within psychology. Psychology Library Editions: Personality (16 Volume set) presents titles, originally published between 1950 and 1997, covering many of these traditions and theories. It includes contributions from many well-respected academics and is a fascinating insight into this diverse field.

This edited volume summarizes recent findings of leading researchers investigating the brain systems that underlie memory. The book reviews recent progress in understanding forms of memory in animals and humans and the interaction of cortical and subcortical systems in the regulation of memory. Special emphasis is given to the development of neural network models that attempt to link cells to systems in the representation of memory. The book will be an invaluable source for cognitive psychologists, neuroscientists, and students interested in this active and exciting area of research.