Cognitive control: A role for implicit learning?

Abstract

We investigated the influence of implicit learning on cognitive control. In a sequential Stroop task, participants implicitly learned a sequence placed on the color of the Stroop words. In Experiment 1, Stroop conflict was lower in sequenced than in random trials (learning-improved control). However, as these results were derived from an interaction between learning and conflict, they could also be explained by improved implicit learning (difference between random and sequenced trials), under incongruent compared with congruent trials (control-improved learning). Therefore, we further unraveled the direction of the interaction in 2 additional experiments. In Experiment 2, participants who learned the color sequence were no better at resolving conflict than participants who did not undergo sequence training. This shows that implicit knowledge does not directly reduce conflict (no learning-improved control). In Experiment 3, the amount of conflict did not directly improve learning either (no control-improved learning). However, conflict had a significant impact on the expression of implicit learning, as most knowledge was expressed under the highest amount of conflict. Thus, task-optimization was accomplished by an increased reliance on implicit sequence knowledge under high conflict. These findings demonstrate that implicit learning processes can be flexibly recruited to support cognitive control functions.

Pupillary responses and reaction times index different cognitive processes in a combined Go/Switch incidental learning task

“…learned was the degree to which they should prepare a Go or a Switch response ahead of the upcoming trial based on the length of intervals between Switch trials. These results are congruent with those of (Deroost et al, 2012) when response inhibition was combined with incidental sequence learning to manipulate cognitive control in a Stroop task. Unbeknownst to the subjects, the order of stimuli followed a specific grammar, which led to facilitation of task performance, but no reduction in response conflict.…”

The role of visual awareness for conflict adaptation in the masked priming task: comparing block-wise adaptation with trial-by-trial adaptation

“…These results may give an empirical support to the contingency learning model for the block-wise adaptation, because it has been shown that the contingency learning of proportion congruency can be achieved without awareness ( Schmidt et al, 2007 ). Furthermore, our result is consistent with the evidence of sequence-specific learning effect, which shows that compatibility effect decreases gradually when the order of stimulus-presentation is determined with sequential regularity, though participants did not notice such a regularity ( Deroost et al, 2012 ). These findings, together with our result, suggest that adaptation for the long-term conflict context should progress in an implicit manner without participant’s awareness of the conflict…”

Freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease: disturbances in automaticity and control

“…The SRT task is a computerized reaction time experiment where subjects incidentally learn a repeating sequence of stimuli. Importantly, procedural learning as observed in the SRT task, is also achieved in healthy subjects when task performance takes place under high perceptual load (Deroost et al, 2009, 2012; Coomans et al, 2011), or attentional capacity (Jiménez and Vázquez, 2005). This supports the automatic nature of procedural learning.…”