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An optimal period for setting sustained variability levels.

P D Stokes1, P Balsam

  • 1Department of Psychology, Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA. pstokes@barnard.columbia.edu

Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|May 9, 2001
PubMed
Summary
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Reinforcing variable behavior during specific training phases, particularly early on, sustains high variability in problem-solving games. Later reinforcement or different methods showed no lasting impact on performance.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Behavioral Science
  • Learning Theory

Background:

  • Understanding how to foster sustained creativity and problem-solving flexibility is crucial.
  • Previous research has explored reinforcement learning but less is known about timing and variability.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the impact of explicit reinforcement timing on maintaining behavioral variability post-training.
  • To identify optimal training strategies for sustained high variability in problem-solving tasks.

Main Methods:

  • Two experiments used computer games with varying solution paths.
  • Behavioral variability was explicitly reinforced at different training stages.
  • Performance was assessed after the reinforcement requirement was removed.

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Main Results:

  • An optimal training period was identified for sustaining high variability.
  • Reinforcement of variability shortly after initial learning proved most effective.
  • Reinforcement at other training points did not yield sustained high variability.

Conclusions:

  • The timing of reinforcement is critical for developing and maintaining flexible problem-solving skills.
  • Early, targeted reinforcement strategies can enhance long-term behavioral variability.
  • Findings have implications for educational and training program design.