title: Attentional effects on rule extraction and consolidation from speech.
abstract: Incidental learning plays a crucial role in the initial phases of language acquisition. However the knowledge derived from implicit learning, which is based on prediction-based mechanisms, may become explicit. The role that attention plays in the formation of implicit and explicit knowledge of the learned material is unclear. In the present study, we investigated the role that attention plays in the acquisition of non-adjacent rule learning from speech. In addition, we also tested whether the amount of attention during learning changes the representation of the learned material after a 24h delay containing sleep. For that, we developed an experiment run on two consecutive days consisting on the exposure to an artificial language that contained non-adjacent dependencies (rules) between words whereas different conditions were established to manipulate the amount of attention given to the rules (target and non-target conditions). Furthermore, we used both indirect and direct measures of learning that are more sensitive to implicit and explicit knowledge, respectively. Whereas the indirect measures indicated that learning of the rules occurred regardless of attention, more explicit judgments after learning showed differences in the type of learning reached under the two attention conditions. 24 hours later, indirect measures showed no further improvements during additional language exposure and explicit judgments indicated that only the information more robustly learned in the previous day, was consolidated.
authors.affiliation: Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit. Bellvitge Research Biomedical Institute (IDIBELL), Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08097, Spain; Department of Basic Psychology, University of Barcelona, Campus Bellvitge, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08097, Spain; Cognitive Neurology and Aphasia Unit and Cathedra Foundation Morera and Vallejo of Aphasia, Centro de Investigaciones Médico-Sanitarias, University of Malaga, Malaga, 29071, Spain; Department of Psychobiology and Methodology of Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Psychology, University of Malaga, Malaga, 29071, Spain.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: López-Barroso
authors.affiliation: Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit. Bellvitge Research Biomedical Institute (IDIBELL), Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08097, Spain; Department of Basic Psychology, University of Barcelona, Campus Bellvitge, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08097, Spain.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cucurell
authors.affiliation: Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit. Bellvitge Research Biomedical Institute (IDIBELL), Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08097, Spain; Department of Basic Psychology, University of Barcelona, Campus Bellvitge, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08097, Spain; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Fornells
authors.affiliation: Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit. Bellvitge Research Biomedical Institute (IDIBELL), Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08097, Spain; Department of Basic Psychology, University of Barcelona, Campus Bellvitge, Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08097, Spain; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: ruth.dediego@ub.edu.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Diego-Balaguer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D011930:Reaction Time; D013060:Speech; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Attention; Explicit learning; Implicit learning; Language learning; Rule learning