ABSTRACT
Functions of brain systems through experimentation and clinical observation, the stress has been on sensorimotor capabilities or vegetative functions, on the one hand, or on complicated and subtle perceptual and intellectual capabilities, on the other. This chapter contributes various levels, structures, and systems of the brain are assessed in terms of mechanisms of interest for understanding not only conditioning but also brain function. It written primarily for physiological psychologists. The chapter addresses questions such as the whereabouts and nature of the engram and the role of various brain structures and systems in the acquisition and performance of a conditioned response (CR) with little regard for readers whose interests lie elsewhere. Perhaps too much discussion in the chapter devoted to the question of where the initial and most crucial events in conditioning occur. One approach determines the minimal or most caudal portions of the vertebrate nervous system capable of supporting conditioned responding.
