ABSTRACT
Some years ago we selected classical conditioning of the eyelid closure response as a model system in which to analyze the neuronal substrates of basic associative learning and memory. We adopted this paradigm, and the rabbit as the experimental animal of choice, for two key reasons: I) There is an extensive literature on the properties and parameters of this basic form of associative learning in both humans and animal (particularly the rabbit) (Black & Prokasy, 1972: Gormezano, 1972), and 2) it obeys the basic “laws” of conditioning and exhibits the basic phenomena of associative learning in a similar manner in humans and in other mammals.
