Abstract
This study investigated the development of contextual dependencies for sequential perceptual-motor learning on static features in the learning environment. In three experiments we assessed the effect of manipulating task irrelevant static context features in a serial reaction-time task. Experiment 1 demonstrated impaired performance after simultaneously changing display color, placeholder shape, and placeholder location. Experiment 2 showed that this effect was mainly caused by changing placeholder shape. Finally, Experiment 3 indicated that changing context affected both the application of sequence knowledge and the selection of individual responses. It is proposed either that incidental stimulus features are integrated with a global sequence representation, or that the changed context causes participants to strategically inhibit sequence skills.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 397-404 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Psychological Research = Psychologische Forschung: An international journal of perception, learning and communication |
| Volume | 72 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jul 2008 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Association Learning
- Attention
- Awareness
- Color Perception
- Discrimination Learning
- Humans
- Inhibition, Psychological
- Orientation
- Pattern Recognition, Visual
- Psychomotor Performance
- Reaction Time
- Serial Learning