Bending rules: the shape of the perceptual generalisation gradient is sensitive to inference rules.
Generalising what is learned about one stimulus to other but perceptually related stimuli is a basic behavioural phenomenon. We evaluated whether a rule learning mechanism may serve to explain such generalisation. To this end, we assessed whether inference rules communicated through verbal instructions affect generalisation. Expectancy ratings, but not valence ratings, proved sensitive to this manipulation. In addition to revealing a role for inference rules in generalisation, our study has clinical implications as well. More specifically, we argue that targeting inference rules might prove to be an effective strategy to affect the excessive generalisation that is often observed in psychopathology.
a Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences , KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium.
Yannick
0000-0002-8067-5969
Y
Boddez
a Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences , KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium.|c Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland.
Marc Patrick
0000-0001-7217-4059
MP
Bennett
a Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences , KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium.
Silke
S
van Esch
a Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences , KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium.|b Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center and Department of Clinical Psychology , University of Amsterdam , Amsterdam , The Netherlands.
Tom
0000-0002-9581-1505
T
Beckers
D000328:Adult; D001245:Association Learning; D003071:Cognition; D005793:Generalization, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D055815:Young Adult
Associative learning; aversive learning; cognitive processes; generalisation; rule learning