Does explicit expectation really affect preparation?

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Human Behavior

Background:

• Expectations aid in preparing for future events and improving performance.
• Distinguishing between explicit expectations and preparation is crucial for understanding their causal roles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally separate the influence of preparation demands from explicit expectations.
• To investigate whether explicit expectations causally influence preparatory processes.

Main Methods:

• Four experiments used a three-choice reaction time task with varying stimulus frequencies (60%, 30%, 10%).
• Explicit expectations were measured via predictions or visual cues.
• Selective response deadlines were introduced to create conflicts between preparation and expectation.

Main Results:

• Participants' response times and predictions adapted to stimulus frequencies.
• When preparation demands conflicted with explicit expectations, participants responded faster to expected stimuli, even when discouraged.
• Explicit expectations did not solely reflect the preparation state.

Conclusions:

• Explicit expectations actively contribute to preparatory processes.
• Expectations are not merely by-products of preparation but play a causal role in guiding actions.