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Uncertainty and predictiveness modulate attention in human predictive learning

Chao, C-M.; McGregor, A.; Sanderson, D. J.

Uncertainty and predictiveness modulate attention in human predictive learning Thumbnail


Authors

C-M. Chao



Abstract

Attention determines which cues receive processing and are learned about. Learning, however, leads to attentional biases. In the study of animal learning, in some circumstances, cues that have been previously predictive of their consequences are subsequently learned about more than are nonpredictive cues, suggesting that they receive more attention. In other circumstances, cues that have previously led to uncertain consequences are learned about more than are predictive cues. In human learning, there is a clear role for predictiveness, but a role for uncertainty has been less clear. Here, in a human learning task, we show that cues that led to uncertain outcomes were subsequently learned about more than were cues that were previously predictive of their outcomes. This effect occurred when there were few uncertain cues. When the number of uncertain cues was increased, attention switched to predictive cues. This pattern of results was found for cues (1) that were uncertain because they led to 2 different outcomes equally often in a nonpredictable manner and (2) that were used in a nonlinear discrimination and were not predictive individually but were predictive in combination with other cues. This suggests that both the opposing predictiveness and uncertainty effects were determined by the relationship between individual cues and outcomes rather than the predictive strength of combined cues. These results demonstrate that learning affects attention; however, the precise nature of the effect on attention depends on the level of task complexity, which reflects a potential switch between exploration and exploitation of cues.

Citation

Chao, C., McGregor, A., & Sanderson, D. J. (2021). Uncertainty and predictiveness modulate attention in human predictive learning. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 150(6), 1177-1202. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000991

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Sep 9, 2020
Online Publication Date Nov 30, 2020
Publication Date 2021-06
Deposit Date Sep 10, 2020
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Journal of Experimental Psychology: General
Print ISSN 0096-3445
Electronic ISSN 0096-3445
Publisher American Psychological Association
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 150
Issue 6
Pages 1177-1202
DOI https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000991
Public URL https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1292812

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Copyright Statement
This article has been published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Copyright for this article is retained by the author(s). Author(s) grant(s) the American Psychological Association the exclusive right to publish the article and identify itself as the original publisher.






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