Evaluating the Learning of Stimulus-Control Associations through Incidental Memory of Reinforcement Events

Autor/inn/en	Bejjani, Christina; Egner, Tobias
Titel	Evaluating the Learning of Stimulus-Control Associations through Incidental Memory of Reinforcement Events
Quelle	In: Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 47 (2021) 10, S.1599-1621 (23 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Bejjani, Christina) ORCID (Egner, Tobias)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0278-7393
DOI	10.1037/xlm0001058
Schlagwörter	Cognitive Processes; Memory; Attention; Motivation; Rewards; Environmental Influences; Adjustment (to Environment); Feedback (Response); Reinforcement; Recognition (Psychology); Undergraduate Students; Employees; Color; Interference (Learning); Reaction Time; Visual Stimuli; Stroop Color Word Test + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Cognitive process; Kognitiver Prozess; Gedächtnis; Aufmerksamkeit; psychologische; Motivation (psychologisch); Reward; Belohnung; Environmental influence; Umwelteinfluss; Positive Verstärkung; Recognition; Wiedererkennen; Employee; Arbeitnehmer; Beschäftigter; Colour; Farbbezeichnung; Farbe; Reaktionsvermögen
Abstract	Cognitive control describes the ability to use internal goals to strategically guide how we process and respond to our environment. Changes in the environment lead to adaptation in control strategies. This type of control learning can be observed in performance adjustments in response to varying proportions of easy to hard trials over blocks of trials on classic control tasks. Known as the list-wide proportion congruent (LWPC) effect, increased difficulty is met with enhanced attentional control. Recent research has shown that motivational manipulations may enhance the LWPC effect, but the underlying mechanisms are not yet understood. We manipulated Stroop proportion congruency over blocks of trials and, after each trial, provided participants with either performance-contingent feedback ("correct/incorrect") or noncontingent feedback ("response logged") above trial-unique, task-irrelevant images (reinforcement events). The LWPC task was followed by a surprise recognition memory task, which allowed us to test whether attention to feedback (incidental memory for the images) varies as a function of proportion congruency, time, performance contingency, and individual differences. We replicated a robust LWPC effect in a large sample (N = 402) but observed no differences in behavior between feedback groups. Importantly, the memory data revealed better encoding of feedback images from context-defining trials (e.g., congruent trials in a mostly congruent block), especially early in a new context and in congruent conditions. Individual differences in reward and punishment sensitivity were not strongly associated with control-learning effects. These results suggest that statistical learning of contextual demand may have a larger impact on control learning than individual differences in motivation. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01