The Redundancy Effect on Human Predictive Learning: Evidence against a Propositional Interpretation

Jorge A Pinto,Daniel E Núñez

doi:10.32348/1852.4206.v12.n3.25293

Jorge A Pinto, Daniel E Núñez

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.32348/1852.4206.v12.n3.25293

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Abstract

The redundancy effect is the finding of greater learning when an X stimulus is trained in an A+ AX+ blocking procedure, than when a Y stimulus is trained in a BY+ CY- discrimination procedure. These findings are new and theoretically challenging for all conditioning theories that calculate learning based on a common error. For this reason, we alternatively examined the possibility that the phenomenon is the result of a propositional reasoning. In an experiment, we replicated the basic effect and we found out that the addition of instructions on the occurrence of the consequences at a submaximal level does not have a significant impact on the redundancy effect. These findings are discussed with regard to a propositional and associative approach based on the assumption that the experimental stimuli share a common feature.

Highlights

The experimental manipulation used to examine this hypothesis consisted in modifying the associative strength acquired by X and Y through the presentation of A- and Y+ in a second phase, which should produce a decrease of the response for the X stimulus and an increase of the response for the Y stimulus, that is to say, this should eliminate the redundancy effect
Materials The stimuli were presented, and the data were collected with a computer connected to a 14-inch screen programmed with the E-prime 1.1 software (Psychology Software Tools, 2004)
To reduce the uncertainty associated to the blocked cue X, and to examine its effect on the redundancy, half of the participants were randomly distributed to the “submaximal” group and they received instructions under the feedback, which consisted in the phrase “NAUSEA: 50 out of 100 points” for the reinforced trials (i.e., A+, AX+, BY+, DW+) and “NO ALLERGIC REACTION: 0 out 100 points” for not reinforced trials (i.e., CY-), while the other half of the participants were assigned to the “control” group and received the feedback alone

Summary

Introduction

The experimental manipulation used to examine this hypothesis consisted in modifying the associative strength acquired by X and Y (first phase: A+ AX+, BY+ CY-) through the presentation of A- and Y+ in a second phase, which should produce a decrease of the response for the X stimulus and an increase of the response for the Y stimulus, that is to say, this should eliminate the redundancy effect.

Results

Conclusion