coupling strengths will be reinforced, forming a behavioural column also for the yellow spot
signal. In Figure 35 we can appreciate a behaviours pattern once the secondary conditioning
was achieved. If the conditioned hungry animat perceives a yellow spot, he will approach to it,
and once he perceives a food source, he will approach to this one, and thus satiate his hunger.
Figure 34. Initial stage of the secondary
conditioning.
Figure 35. Behaviours pattern once the secondary
conditioning was achieved.
6.1.5. Learning the motivation degree
For this experiment we considered an initial state as the one shown in Figure 36. We
have two animats in separated environments: one with abundant sources of food, and the other
one with none. Other stimuli are created in both environments. Both animats are initialized
with the same parameters: a very high level of hunger, and no other internal need, with an
initial value of " for the hunger column of 0.7. "max has a value of 1.0, "min of 0.0, * of 1000, and
D of 0.0005.
Figure 37 shows what occurred after 1000 simulation cycles. The animat in the scarce
environment explored, searching for food, but finding none. This remembered scenario led to
the incremental adjustment of his respective "i until it reached "max. On the other hand, the
abundant environment allowed the animat in it to satisfy his hunger quickly. Once his hunger
was satiated, the animat wandered, while his respective "i decreased29.
29See Section 3.8.2.
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