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Related Experiment Videos

Second-order backward blocking and unovershadowing in human causal learning.

Jan De Houwer1, Tom Beckers

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Gent, Belgium. Jan.DeHouwer@rug.ac.be

Experimental Psychology
|April 27, 2002
PubMed
Summary

This study demonstrates higher-order unovershadowing and backward blocking in causal learning. Causal ratings for a target cue (T2) changed significantly based on subsequent outcome trials (C+ or C-).

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Causal Learning
  • Human Cognition

Background:

  • Previous research established that causal judgments are influenced by training.
  • The role of higher-order processes in causal judgments requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To replicate and extend findings on higher-order causal judgments.
  • To investigate the effects of subsequent outcome trials on causal ratings of target cues.

Main Methods:

  • Participants underwent training involving target cues (T1, T2) and outcomes.
  • Causal status ratings for cues were collected before and after specific outcome trials (C+ or C-).

Main Results:

  • Causal ratings for T2 significantly increased after positive outcome (C+) trials and decreased after negative outcome (C-) trials.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Evidence for higher-order unovershadowing and higher-order backward blocking was observed.
  • First-order backward blocking for T1 was more pronounced than first-order unovershadowing.

    • Conclusions:

    • The study provides the first empirical evidence for higher-order unovershadowing and backward blocking.
    • These findings advance our understanding of complex causal inference mechanisms in humans.