6. The Battle of the Cues: Kamin's Blocking Paradigm

The Blocking effect, brought to light by Kamin's blocking paradigm, is one of the most exciting phenomena in a complex world of learning and conditioning. This phenomenon indicates that there is a competition between two cues for an outcome and they are connected to how we learn and how we perceive our surroundings.

Picture a dog you're training to connect a bell's sound with getting a treat. Through the first stage a bell is being rung and then the dog is being given a treat. The dog soon learns the relationship between the bell and the treat. Now, take a whistle, add it alongside the bell you have already been ringing and give your treat. Surprisingly the dog doesn't learn the relationship between the whistle and the treat quickly as it did with the bell only. This is the very nature of the blocking approach by Kamin.

In Kamin's experiment the animals were trained to respond to a cue (for instance a tone) by associating it with a reward (e.g. food). After that, two cues (like a light) were presented with the first cue just before the reward. Interestingly, the animals did not connect the second cue with the reward even though it was a reliable indication of the reward availability. Thus, the fact that the first cue interfered with the learning of the second cue is suggested.

But what are the reasons? One possible answer lies in the concept of attentional focus. The introduction of the first cue makes the target object attractive and becomes the main cue for learning.

This “feature” has a number of implications for learning via the environment. It implies that our past experiences and expectations can influence both the learning and learning mechanism. It, however, does not only emphasize the importance of attention and focus in learning but also the process itself.

The effect is not limited to animals; in addition, it has been observed in a number of learning situations, including the behavior of people. As an example, you could strongly hold a stand regarding some issue and you can reject the information you may encounter that will cause you to change your mind.

Learning the blocking effect can also have practical applications. For instance in education it brings to fore the value of conveying information in a manner that is different from the whole notion of learning. Through successful creation of learning environments, educators can achieve maximized learning outcomes and improved understanding.

Basically, Kamin's blocking paradigm is an intriguing reminder that learning and conditioning are not that clear. It illustrates the influence of anticipation, expectation, and prior knowledge on the perception bringing us to the process of learning. Through elucidating these complex mechanisms we can acquire a richer knowledge of the way we learn and adapt to our ever changing reality.