Abstract
Previous studies have suggested that negative feedback is more effective in driving learning than positive feedback. We investigated the effect on learning of providing varying amounts of negative and positive feedback while listeners attempted to discriminate between three identical tones; an impossible task that nevertheless produces robust learning. Four feedback conditions were compared during training: 90% positive feedback or 10% negative feedback informed the participants that they were doing equally well, while 10% positive or 90% negative feedback informed them they were doing equally badly. In all conditions the feedback was random in relation to the listeners’ responses (because the task was to discriminate three identical tones), yet both the valence (negative vs. positive) and the probability of feedback (10% vs. 90%) affected learning. Feedback that informed listeners they were doing badly resulted in better post-training performance than feedback that informed them they were doing well, independent of valence. In addition, positive feedback during training resulted in better post-training performance than negative feedback, but only positive feedback indicating listeners were doing badly on the task resulted in learning. As we have previously speculated, feedback that better reflected the difficulty of the task was more effective in driving learning than feedback that suggested performance was better than it should have been given perceived task difficulty. But contrary to expectations, positive feedback was more effective than negative feedback in driving learning. Feedback thus had two separable effects on learning: feedback valence affected motivation on a subjectively difficult task, and learning occurred only when feedback probability reflected the subjective difficulty. To optimize learning, training programs need to take into consideration both feedback valence and probability.
Highlights
Practice on perceptual tasks in any sensory modality almost always improves performance, a phenomenon referred to as ‘perceptual learning’
Human rule-based category learning studies have found that negative feedback is more effective than positive feedback
Positive feedback during training resulted in greater learning than negative feedback (Fig 2B; F(1,95) = 4.15; p = 0.044); feedback that informed listeners they were doing badly was more effective in driving learning than feedback that informed them they were doing well (F(1,95) = 6.58; p = 0.012)
Summary
Practice on perceptual tasks in any sensory modality almost always improves performance (e.g., visual: [1]; auditory: [2]; somatosensory: [3]), a phenomenon referred to as ‘perceptual learning’. There is little consensus in the literature regarding how much feedback is useful for optimizing learning, nor on whether it should be given in response to correct or incorrect performance (positive or negative feedback, respectively). This aspect of feedback, often called ‘valence’, has been studied in educational learning contexts [11] as well as in animal learning, and less frequently in human perceptual learning. Human rule-based category learning studies (more similar to the animal learning studies than to perceptual learning) have found that negative feedback is more effective than positive feedback (see, e.g., [17, 18]). Varying the difficulty of a categorization task with a number of irrelevant dimensions, Meyer and Offenbach [19] concluded that negative feedback was more effective for learning than positive, but only when the task was more difficult (more irrelevant dimensions)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
