Associative learning via eyeblink conditioning differs by age from infancy to adulthood.

ABSTRACT: Associative learning is a key feature of adaptive behaviour and mental health, enabling individuals to adjust their actions in anticipation of future events. Comprehensive documentation of this essential component of human cognitive development throughout different developmental periods is needed. Here, we investigated age-related changes in associative learning in key developmental stages, including infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. We employed a classical delay eyeblink conditioning paradigm that consisted of two sessions with a total of 48 paired trials. Our initial hypothesis was that performance in associative learning would increase linearly with age. However, our findings suggest that performance peaks during the primary school years: Children in this age-group exhibit

SUBMITTER: Konrad C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11649691 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature