Reaction time as a measure of human associative learning.
Studies of human associative learning have often used causal/predictive learning preparations in which participants decide whether or not a first event is effective in causing or predicting a second event (i.e., an outcome). Those preparations have proved successful in replicating many Pavlovian phenomena. In the present paper we tested a novel associative learning preparation in which visually presented letters were paired with a visual outcome. Reaction times (RTs) were recorded to assess associative strength between specific cues and the outcome. Combining two different dependent variables (RTs and type of response given), we propose a rule for evaluating the associative strength between two events. The preparation and the data transformation rule were successful in producing several Pavlovian phenomena including excitatory acquisition, extinction, overshadowing, and latent inhibition, as well as established summation effects. Advantages and limitations of this new preparation based on the use of RT are discussed.
Université de Lille, Nord de France, Domaine universitaire du “Pont de Bois”, rue du Barreau, Villeneuve d‘Ascq Cedex, France. paul.craddock@univ-lille3.fr
Paul
P
Craddock
Mikael
M
Molet
Ralph R
RR
Miller
D000328:Adult; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D005108:Extinction, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*