Reinforcement of variability facilitates learning in humans.

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Behavioral Science
• Educational Technology

Background:

• Previous studies in rats and pigeons indicated that reinforcing response variability enhances learning of complex sequences.
• This suggested potential applications for teaching individuals with learning difficulties.
• However, human studies yielded contradictory results, showing interference with learning when variability was reinforced.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of concurrent reinforcement of response variability on learning difficult sequences in human participants.
• To reconcile conflicting findings between animal and previous human studies on reinforcement of variability.

Main Methods:

• Human participants engaged in a computer-based game designed to teach a difficult response sequence.
• One group received concurrent reinforcement for sequence variability, while a control group did not.
• Learning outcomes were compared between the groups.

Main Results:

• Participants who were concurrently reinforced for sequence variability demonstrated improved learning of the difficult response sequence.
• These findings align with results observed in nonhuman animal studies.
• The results contrast with previous human experiments where variability reinforcement hindered learning.

Conclusions:

• Reinforcement of variability can facilitate learning in humans, similar to its effect in animals.
• The study highlights the importance of experimental context (e.g., computer-based game) in understanding reinforcement effects.
• Further research is needed to explore the reasons for discrepancies with prior human findings.