Context-specific temporal learning with non-conflict stimuli: proof-of-principle for a learning account of context-specific proportion congruent effects.

James R Schmidt,Cã©Line Lemercier,Jan De Houwer

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01241

James R Schmidt, Cã©Line Lemercier + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01241

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Abstract

The conflict adaptation account proposes that participants adjust attention to target and distracting stimuli in response to conflict. This is argued to explain the proportion congruent effect, wherein the congruency effect decreases as the proportion of conflicting incongruent trials increases. Some reports further argue that this conflict adaptation process can be context-specific. This paper presents a proof-of-principle for a competing account. It is suggested that such context-specific effects might be driven by very basic temporal learning processes. In the reported experiment, we manipulated stimulus contrast in place of congruency. In one location, stimulus letters were mostly easy to identify (high stimulus contrast). In the other location, letters were mostly hard to identify (low stimulus contrast). Participants produced a larger contrast effect in the mostly easy context. Along with supplemental analyses investigating the role of context switching and previous trial response times, the results are consistent with the notion that different rhythms of responding are learned for an easy versus hard location context. These results suggest that context-specific proportion congruency effects might result, in whole or in part, from temporal learning. Conflict adaptation may or may not play an additional role.

Highlights

Learning about when to respond is arguably as important as learning what to respond when interacting with the environment
Analyses were conducted with a linear mixed effect (LME) model in order to assess any overall benefits for stimuli presented in one of the two stimulus locations and/or interactions between stimulus location and the other factors
The magnitude of an effect on the current trial is influenced by previous trial response time (RT), and by contextual cues. This context-specific proportion easy effect was not modulated by the contrast of the previous trial or by whether or not the context repeated

Summary

Introduction

Learning about when to respond is arguably as important as learning what to respond when interacting with the environment. Whether for determining the causal relation between events or using said causal knowledge to optimally respond to stimuli in the fastest and most accurate manner possible, both contingency and temporal information are critical for successful performance. In the context of psychological experiments, detecting regularities allows for the anticipation of future events on subsequent trials, benefiting performance when expectations match reality. If a neutral distracting stimulus is predictive of the likely target stimulus, performance is aided when the expected stimulus is presented (e.g., Miller, 1987; Schmidt et al, 2007). If a cue indicates the likely time at which a stimulus will appear, performance is sped up if the stimulus appears at the expected time (e.g., Hsu et al, 2013)

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