The Role of Instructions and Intention in Learning
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The Role of Instructions and Intention in Learning Jessica C. Lee School of Psychology Faculty of Science University of Sydney A thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2016 Abstract This thesis investigates how manipulating intention to learn (learning orientation) through verbal instructions affects learning in a range of putatively associative and implicit tasks. Within three different paradigms, learning orientation was manipulated so that learning was either incidental to, or aligned with (i.e. intentional) the aims of the task. The first series of experiments investigated sequence learning, as measured in the serial reaction time task. Sequence learning was found to result reliably under incidental conditions and was selectively improved by instructions promoting discovery of a relational rule describing a set of probabilistic contingencies. The second series of experiments used the prototype distortion task, where it has been claimed that implicit learning of a category of prototype-centered stimuli can occur automatically as a result of exposure. Using a visual search task as a means of incidental exposure, equivocal evidence for the implicit status of learning in the prototype distortion task was found, and instructions directing participants to memorize the stimuli resulted in greater evidence of learning the similarity structure of the category. Finally, the third series of experiments assessed generalization along stimulus dimensions following a difficult discrimination task. Instructions directing attention to a particular stimulus dimension promoted rule-based generalization and facilitated a dissociation in the pattern of generalization obtained as a result of reducing rule applicability on test. The results suggest that human learning is highly susceptible to learning orientation, which has implications for the way implicit learning should be viewed as a psychological construct. Theories of learning, whether single- or dual-process, need to better account for this seemingly pervasive role of learning orientation. i Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to thank my supervisor, Evan Livesey, for his encouragement, patience and guidance throughout my candidature. Your insight and enthusiasm for research is inspiring, and I am fortunate to have had such a dedicated and brilliant mentor. I am extremely lucky to have been surrounded by a group of bright and fun students and researchers throughout my PhD. They have supported or inspired me in some form through discussing their own research, providing me with feedback on mine, or allowing me to work on theirs (thanks Ben – even though I got fired regularly!). To the 520 (and beyond) crew, I have enjoyed every moment including Bayes Club, Muscle Time, Friday Thaiday, and living with the best housemates, Nicky and Hilary. Thank you especially to Dot for her intellectual and emotional support from the very beginning and through all the highs and lows. I would like to acknowledge the input of several anonymous reviewers of my work, as well as Ian McLaren. Their feedback has allowed me to clarify and refine my ideas in my written work. I would also like to thank Andy Wills for allowing me to visit his lab in Plymouth during my candidature. This thesis would not have been possible without support from my family. To my sister, Amanda, thank you for your assistance with proofreading and baking me cakes at all the right moments. To my parents, I am deeply grateful for the sacrifices you have made to afford me the opportunities I have enjoyed. Thank you to my Mum especially, who instilled in me the value of hard work, and for reminding me that education is a privilege she never had. Lastly, thank you to Tung for everything. You are the worst study buddy, but the best partner. ii Statement of Originality This is to certify that to the best of my knowledge, the content of this thesis is my own work. This thesis has not been submitted for any degree or other purposes. I certify that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work and that all the assistance received in preparing this thesis and sources have been acknowledged. Jessica Lee iii Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................ ii Originality Statement ................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... iv List of Figures ............................................................................................................ xiii List of Tables ................................................................................................................. x List of Publications ....................................................................................................... xi List of Conference Presentations ................................................................................. xii CHAPTER 1: General Introduction ............................................................................... 1 1.1 The Nature of Associative Learning ................................................................... 2 1.2 Learning in Humans ............................................................................................ 6 1.3 Dual-Process Theories ........................................................................................ 8 1.3.1 Associative and Propositional Learning ..................................................... 9 1.3.2 Implicit and Explicit Learning .................................................................. 16 1.3.3 Rules and Associations ............................................................................. 22 1.4 Some Commonalities ........................................................................................ 24 1.4.1 Learning without Awareness? ................................................................... 24 1.4.2 Learning without Thought? ....................................................................... 25 1.4.3 Theoretical Questions ............................................................................... 26 1.5 General Aims .................................................................................................... 27 1.6 Research Questions ........................................................................................... 29 1.7 Outline of Chapters ........................................................................................... 30 CHAPTER 2: Sequence Learning ............................................................................... 34 2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 34 2.2 Experiment 1 ..................................................................................................... 46 2.2.1 Method ...................................................................................................... 50 2.2.1.1 Participants and Apparatus ............................................................... 50 2.2.1.2 Procedure .......................................................................................... 51 2.2.2 Results and Discussion ............................................................................. 52 2.3 Experiment 2 ..................................................................................................... 57 2.3.1 Method ...................................................................................................... 57 2.3.1.1 Participants ........................................................................................ 57 2.3.1.2 Procedure .......................................................................................... 58 2.3.2 Results ....................................................................................................... 58 2.3.3 Discussion ................................................................................................. 60 2.4 Experiment 3 ..................................................................................................... 61 2.4.1 Method ...................................................................................................... 64 2.4.1.1 Participants ........................................................................................ 64 iv 2.4.1.2 Procedure .......................................................................................... 65 2.4.2 Results ....................................................................................................... 66 2.4.3 Discussion ................................................................................................. 68 2.5 Experiment 4 ..................................................................................................... 69 2.5.1 Method ...................................................................................................... 71 2.5.1.1 Participants ........................................................................................ 71 2.5.1.2 Procedure .......................................................................................... 71 2.5.2 Results ......................................................................................................