Learning the Rescorla–Wagner Model of Pavlovian Conditioning: An Interactive Simulation

Abstract

The Rescorla–Wagner model is one of the cornerstones of learning theory. However, many students in undergraduate courses find the model's concepts difficult to grasp, and the model is often the students' first exposure to computational models in psychology. This article describes an interactive simulation based on an Excel® spreadsheet program that implements the model over 500 trials using parameters specified by the student. Students report favorable reactions to the classroom use of the simulation.