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Published on: June 30, 2020
Effects of concurrent load on feature- and rule-based generalization in human contingency learning.
Andy J Wills1, Steven Graham, Zhisheng Koh
1School of Psychology, University of Exeter, UK. a.j.wills@ex.ac.uk
Summary
Cognitive load during training impairs human contingency learning, shifting generalization from an opposites rule to surface similarity. This effect is critical during training, not testing.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human Learning and Memory
Background:
- Human contingency learning involves understanding relationships between cues and outcomes.
- Generalization performance can be influenced by cognitive factors such as attention and load.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of concurrent cognitive load on generalization in human contingency learning.
- To determine whether cognitive load during training or testing is more critical for generalization performance.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments utilized the positive and negative patterning procedure.
- Participants (undergraduates) were trained and tested under conditions of full attention or concurrent cognitive load.
- Generalization patterns were analyzed to assess rule application (opposites vs. surface similarity).
Main Results:
- Full attention during training and testing led to generalization based on an "opposites" rule.
- Concurrent cognitive load during training resulted in generalization based on "surface similarity."
- The critical period for cognitive load's effect on generalization was during training.
Conclusions:
- Concurrent cognitive load during training significantly alters generalization strategies in human contingency learning.
- Findings suggest implications for associative, inferential, and dual-process models of learning.
- Attention during the learning phase is crucial for complex rule-based generalization.
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