Learned changes in outcome associability

Quigley, Martyn C.; Eatherington, Carla J.; Haselgrove, Mark

Abstract

When a cue reliably predicts an outcome, the associability of that cue will change. Associative theories of learning propose this change will persist even when the same cue is paired with a different outcome. These theories, however, do not extend the same privilege to an outcome; an outcome’s learning history is deemed to have no bearing on subsequent new learning involving that outcome. Two experiments were conducted which sought to investigate this assumption inherent in these theories using a serial letter-prediction task. In both experiments participants were exposed, in Stage 1, to a predictable outcome (‘X’) and an unpredictable outcome (‘Z’). In Stage 2 participants were exposed to the same outcomes preceded by novel cues which were equally predictive of both outcomes. Both experiments revealed that participants’ learning toward the previously predictable outcome was more rapid in Stage 2 than the previously unpredicted outcome. The implications of these results for theories of associative learning are discussed.

Citation

Quigley, M. C., Eatherington, C. J., & Haselgrove, M. (2018). Learned changes in outcome associability. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 72(2), 209-221. https://doi.org/10.1080/17470218.2017.1344258

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 11, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Jun 19, 2017
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2018
• Deposit Date: Jul 31, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 31, 2017
• Journal: Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology
• Print ISSN: 1747-0218
• Electronic ISSN: 1747-0226
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 72
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 209-221
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17470218.2017.1344258
• Keywords: Outcome processing; Learning; Associability; Attention; Associative learning
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/866929
• Publisher URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17470218.2017.1344258
• Additional Information: This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology on 19 Jun 2017, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/17470218.2017.1344258
• Contract Date: Jul 31, 2017