title: The advantage of timely intervention.
abstract: Can people learn causal structure more effectively through intervention rather than observation? Four studies used a trial-based learning paradigm in which participants obtained probabilistic data about a causal chain through either observation or intervention and then selected the causal model most likely to have generated the data. Experiment 1 demonstrated that interveners made more correct model choices than did observers, and Experiments 2 and 3 ruled out explanations for this advantage in terms of informational differences between the 2 conditions. Experiment 4 tested the hypothesis that the advantage was driven by a temporal signal; interveners may exploit the cue that their interventions are the most likely causes of any subsequent changes. Results supported this temporal cue hypothesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK. d.lagnado@ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Lagnado
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sloman
mesh_terms: D003463:Cues; D004777:Environment; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D007858:Learning; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013997:Time Factors; D014796:Visual Perception