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Absence of Differential Protection From Extinction in Human Causal Learning

George, David; Haddon, Josephine; Griffiths, Oren

Authors

Josephine Haddon

Oren Griffiths



Abstract

Elemental models of associative learning typically employ a common prediction-error term. Following a conditioning trial, they predict that the change in the strength of an association between a cue and an outcome is dependent upon how well the outcome was predicted. When multiple cues are present, they each contribute to that prediction. The same rule applies both to increases in associative strength during excitatory conditioning and the loss of associative strength during extinction. In five experiments using an allergy prediction task, we tested the involvement of a common error term in the extinction of causal learning. Two target cues were each paired with an outcome prior to undergoing extinction in compound either with a second excitatory cue or with a cue that had previously undergone extinction in isolation. At test, there was no difference in the causal ratings of the two target cues. Manipulations designed to bias participants toward elemental processing of cue compounds, to promote the acquisition of inhibitory associations, or to reduce generalization decrement between training and test were each without effect. These results are not consistent with common error term models of associative learning.

Citation

George, D., Haddon, J., & Griffiths, O. (2024). Absence of Differential Protection From Extinction in Human Causal Learning. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition, https://doi.org/10.1037/xan0000380

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Mar 13, 2024
Online Publication Date Apr 24, 2024
Publication Date 2024
Deposit Date Mar 13, 2024
Publicly Available Date Apr 24, 2024
Journal Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition
Print ISSN 2329-8464
Publisher American Psychological Association
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
DOI https://doi.org/10.1037/xan0000380
Keywords Extinction; Causal learning; Associative learning; Prediction error
Public URL https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4589133

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http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Copyright Statement
© 2024 The Author(s).
Open Access funding provided by University of Hull: This work is
licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). This license permits copying and redistributing the work in any medium or format, as well as adapting the material for any purpose, even commercially.





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