Context dependent learning in the serial RT task
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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

The "Motor" in Implicit Motor Sequence Learning: A Foot-stepping Serial Reaction Time Task
Published on: May 3, 2018
Elger L Abrahamse1, Willem B Verwey
1Cognitive Psychology and Ergonomics, Faculty of Behavioral Sciences, Universiteit Twente, Postbus 217, 7500 AE, Enschede, The Netherlands. e.l.abrahamse@gw.utwente.nl
Abstract:
This study investigated the development of contextual dependencies for sequential perceptual-motor learning on static features in the learning environment. In three experiments we assessed the effect of manipulating task irrelevant static context features in a serial reaction-time task. Experiment 1 demonstrated impaired performance after simultaneously changing display color, placeholder shape, and placeholder location. Experiment 2 showed that this effect was mainly caused by changing placeholder shape. Finally, Experiment 3 indicated that changing context affected both the application of sequence knowledge and the selection of individual responses. It is proposed either that incidental stimulus features are integrated with a global sequence representation, or that the changed context causes participants to strategically inhibit sequence skills.
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