Testing a cue outside the training context increases attention to the contexts and impairs performance in human predictive learning

• Published in: Behavioural processes 2017-12, Vol.145, p.31-36
• Main Authors: Aristizabal, José A., Ramos-Álvarez, Manuel M., Callejas-Aguilera, José E., Rosas, Juan M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Association Learning; Attention; Avoidance Learning; Behavior; Contexts processing; Cues; Discrimination Learning; Experiments; Female; Fixation, Ocular; Gaze dwell time; Human predictive learning; Humans; Judgment; Learning; Male; Pattern Recognition, Visual; Statistics as Topic; Training; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0376-6357; 1872-8308
• DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.10.001

•Gaze dwell time to the context is high at the beginning of training and increases when the information is presented outside the training context.•Attention to contexts increases when unexpected information is presented within them.•Attention to the contexts seems to be at the base of contextual switch effects in human predictive learning. One experiment in human predictive learning explored the impact of a context change on attention to contexts and predictive ratings controlled by the cue. In Context A: cue X was paired with an outcome four times, while cue Y was presented without an outcome four times in Context B:. In both contexts filler cues were presented without the outcome. During the test, target cues X and Y were presented either in the context where they were trained, or in the alternative context. With the context change expectation of the outcome X, expressed as predictive ratings, decreased in the presence of X and increased in the presence of Y. Looking at the contexts, expressed as a percentage of the overall gaze dwell time on a trial, was high across the four training trials, and increased with the context change. Results suggest that the presentation of unexpected information leads to increases in attention to contextual cues. Implications for contextual control of behavior are discussed.