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Temporal contiguity determines overshadowing and potentiation of human Action-Outcome performance

Alcalá, José A.; Kirkden, Richard D.; Bray, Jess; Prados, José; Urcelay, Gonzalo P.

Authors

José A. Alcalá

Richard D. Kirkden

Jess Bray

José Prados



Abstract

Three experiments (n = 81, n = 81, n = 82, respectively) explored how temporal contiguity influences Action-Outcome learning, assessing whether an intervening signal competed, facilitated, or had no effect on performance and causal attribution in undergraduate participants. Across experiments, we observed competition and facilitation as a function of the temporal contiguity between Action and Outcome. When there was a strong temporal relationship between Action and Outcome, the signal competed with the action, hindering instrumental performance but not causal attribution (Experiments 1 and 3). However, with weak temporal contiguity, the same signal facilitated both instrumental performance and causal attribution (Experiments 1 and 2). Finally, the physical intensity of the signal determined the magnitude of competition. As anticipated by associative learning models, a more salient signal attenuated to a greater extent instrumental performance (Experiment 3). These results are discussed by reference to a recent adaptation of the configural theory of learning.

Citation

Alcalá, J. A., Kirkden, R. D., Bray, J., Prados, J., & Urcelay, G. P. (2022). Temporal contiguity determines overshadowing and potentiation of human Action-Outcome performance. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-022-02155-4

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jul 17, 2022
Online Publication Date Aug 11, 2022
Publication Date Aug 11, 2022
Deposit Date Aug 12, 2022
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Psychonomic Bulletin and Review
Print ISSN 1069-9384
Electronic ISSN 1531-5320
Publisher Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
DOI https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-022-02155-4
Keywords Cue competition · Overshadowing · Potentiation · Temporal contiguity · Action-outcome
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/9905075
Publisher URL https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13423-022-02155-4
Additional Information The version of record of this article, first published in Psychonomic Bulletin & Review is available online at Publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-022-02155-4