A Novel Research Tool for Studying Human Associative Learning: Role‐Playing Game Tasks1,2

Abstract

AbstractA role‐playing game (RPG) is a video game genre in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. This study examined the possibility of applying an RPG task to human associative learning. Specifically, it examined latent inhibition and context‐specific latent inhibition using the RPG task. In the RPG task, the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli were a monster and a treasure obtained battling the monster, respectively. Conditioning was conducted by presenting a treasure after a battle. The experimental context was the location where the battle occurred. Participants were asked to make judgments about the extent to which each monster they encountered would likely have a treasure. Prior to conditioning, a treatment of not obtaining a treasure after a battle would make it unlikely to expect the monster to have a treasure, even if it was received after a subsequent battle (i.e., latent inhibition). Furthermore, when the battle location was changed, the latent inhibition disappeared (i.e., context‐specific latent inhibition). These observed phenomena suggested that the RPG task may be employed as a tool to extend research regarding human associative learning.