Study choices and inference in an acquired equivalence task

Memory-based inference involves forming connections across experiences to derive new knowledge. It allows us to 'read between the lines' of our experiences to support novel decision-making. While it may sometimes be necessary to make inferences, it may also be beneficial to seek more information about connections that arise from inference. Theories of memory-based inference make different predictions about whether inferences are represented differently from direct experience. If individuals do not distinguish between direct experience and inferences, then they will not be able to seek information about inferences relative to direct experiences. Alternatively, individuals may remember that they inferred a relationship between pieces of information and take steps to confirm that relationship. Across three experiments, we used individuals' choices of what information to study or re-study to investigate the extent to which people disproportionately seek information about inferences relative to direct experience. Using an acquired equivalence paradigm with a novel study choice phase, we found relatively low inference rates, and that participants initially chose to re-study well-learned information. However, participants used subsequent study opportunities to learn about indirect relationships. Thus, there was little evidence of spontaneous inference during initial learning as predicted by some inference theories. Instead, inferential learning seemed to occur over the course of a self-directed study session. This study provides insight into the mechanisms of memory-based inference and contributes to the metacognitive literature by expanding our understanding of how individuals make study choices within an inference learning task.