Behavior analysts are familiar with the use of electrodermal activity as a dependent measure of central nervous system
activation. In addition, behavior analysts have increasingly turned to direct measures of brain activation, such as
electroencephalography and event-related potentials. Recent developments in the field of bioengineering, however,
have produced a new and exciting brain-activation recording device known as near infrared spectrometry, or NIRS.
The current paper reports a demonstration of its use in a traditional respondent conditioning paradigm. Specifically, a
male volunteer was exposed to a conditioning paradigm designed to produce both an eliciting stimulus for fear and a
relief stimulus. Conditioning effects were assessed using electrodermal activation as well as blood volume changes in
the frontal lobe, recorded by NIRS. The results of the demonstration show that both electrodermal and NIRS measures
can successfully identify conditioning effects without necessarily tracking each other on a trial-by-trial basis. It is
suggested that NIRS is an inexpensive, non-invasive technique for the assessment of learning and behavior at the
neural level.
Ireland ->
Maynooth University ->
Subject = Science & Engineering: Electronic Engineering
Ireland ->
Maynooth University ->
Subject = Science & Engineering
Ireland ->
Maynooth University ->
Type = Article
Ireland ->
Maynooth University ->
Academic Unit = Faculty of Science and Engineering
Ireland ->
Maynooth University ->
Academic Unit = Faculty of Science and Engineering: Electronic Engineering
Ireland ->
Maynooth University ->
Status = Published
Ireland ->
Maynooth University ->
Open Access DRIVERset
Gary McDarby,
Charles Markham,
Tomas Ward,
Shirley Coyle,
Bryan Roche