A Developmental Trajectory of Latent Inhibition

Haselgrove, Mark; Mah, Sue Lynn

Abstract

Latent inhibition is said to occur when learning about the relationship between a cue and an outcome proceeds more readily when the cue is novel relative to when the cue has been rendered familiar through mere preexposure. Previous studies suggest that latent inhibition, while evident in 4- to 5-year-old children, is attenuated or even absent in older children. There are, however, acknowledged shortcomings associated with previous demonstrations of this effect, which we attempted to overcome using a letter prediction task that has been employed in recent studies of latent inhibition in adults. One hundred and seventy-five 4- to 14-year-old children and 175 young adults completed a letter prediction task, with a latent inhibition manipulation embedded within it. Using developmental trajectory analysis we found, contrary to other studies, an increase in the magnitude of latent inhibition as children age, with the effect becoming significant when children were around 6.7 years of age. Model comparison revealed that a linear function best described the relationship between latent inhibition and age. We discuss these findings in the context of theories of learning and attention, and consider the role of concurrent task type as a factor that determines the developmental trajectory of latent inhibition.

Citation

Haselgrove, M., & Mah, S. L. (2024). A Developmental Trajectory of Latent Inhibition. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition, 50(3), 186-196. https://doi.org/10.1037/xan0000381

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 18, 2024
• Online Publication Date: May 23, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024-07
• Deposit Date: Mar 20, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: May 28, 2024
• Journal: Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition
• Print ISSN: 2329-8456
• Electronic ISSN: 2329-8464
• Publisher: American Psychological Association
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 50
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 186-196
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/xan0000381
• Keywords: Latent Inhibition, Development, Associative Learning, Attention, Developmental Trajectory
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/32745728
• Publisher URL: https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2024-85609-001.html