We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Evidence for online processing during causal learning.
- Authors
Liu, Pei-Pei; Luhmann, Christian
- Abstract
Many models of learning describe both the end product of learning (e.g., causal judgments) and the cognitive mechanisms that unfold on a trial-by-trial basis. However, the methods employed in the literature typically provide only indirect evidence about the unfolding cognitive processes. Here, we utilized a simultaneous secondary task to measure cognitive processing during a straightforward causal-learning task. The results from three experiments demonstrated that covariation information is not subject to uniform cognitive processing. Instead, we observed systematic variation in the processing dedicated to individual pieces of covariation information. In particular, observations that are inconsistent with previously presented covariation information appear to elicit greater cognitive processing than do observations that are consistent with previously presented covariation information. In addition, the degree of cognitive processing appears to be driven by learning per se, rather than by nonlearning processes such as memory and attention. Overall, these findings suggest that monitoring learning processes at a finer level may provide useful psychological insights into the nature of learning.
- Subjects
COGNITIVE learning; TASK performance; REACTION time; AUDITORY pathways; EVOKED potentials (Electrophysiology); ATTENTION
- Publication
Learning & Behavior, 2015, Vol 43, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
1543-4494
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3758/s13420-014-0156-8