Learning when to learn: Context-specific instruction encoding
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Le résumé fourni par la source
Humans are efficient at learning new behaviors through verbal instructions, bypassing the need for trial-and-error learning, but requiring a certain degree of cognitive flexibility. Recent theories suggest that abstract functions of cognition, like cognitive flexibility, can be (up)regulated by contextual features in our environment with which they are associated. Here, we tested whether people show a more flexible control mode in contexts where one frequently learns new task instructions. Specifically, participants had to encode and execute a series of new task instructions, and the likelihood of encountering a new (relative to old) task instruction varied in function of whether the instruction was presented above versus below the center of the screen (Experiment 1, n = 40), or in a blue versus green font (Experiment 2, n = 40). We measured the level of interference from retained new task instructions on secondary task performance to index cognitive flexibility, and show enhanced flexibility (i.e., enhanced receptibility for new task instructions) for contexts in which the likelihood of encountering new task instructions was relatively high. Similarly, participants were also faster to encode new instructions in these contexts. A third, online study (n = 77) replicated the main finding of Experiment 2, whose context manipulation (i.e., font color) was most effective. Together, these findings suggest that cognitive flexibility can bind to, and be signaled by, contextual features in our environment. Such ‘learning when to learn’ provides a (self-)regulating mechanism for the cognitive processes that support the encoding (and execution) of new task instructions.
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Le contrôle bibliographique ouvert
DOI retrouvé dans Crossref DOI retrouvé ; titre concordant.
- Titre Crossref
- Learning when to learn: Context-specific instruction encoding
- Date Crossref
- 26/09/2025
- Éditeur
- Center for Open Science
- Type
- posted-content
Ce recoupement confirme des métadonnées liées au DOI. Il ne confirme ni la méthode ni les conclusions de l’étude, et il ne compte pas comme une seconde source scientifique indépendante.
Où se fait cette recherche
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Ghent University Department of Experimental Psychology pays non établi dans la noticeUniversité ou école supérieure
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Henry Dunant Hospital pays non établi dans la noticeÉtablissement de santé
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Utrecht University Department of Psychology pays non établi dans la noticeUniversité ou école supérieure
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Tilburg University Department Communication and Cognition pays non établi dans la noticeUniversité ou école supérieure
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Atlantic Environmental Research Center pays non établi dans la noticeInstitution
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Department of Experimental Psychology Henri Dunantlaan 2 9000 Gent Belgium pays non établi dans la noticeInstitution
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Atlántico Medio University Department of Educational Sciences pays non établi dans la noticeUniversité ou école supérieure
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Universiteit Gent pays non établi dans la noticeUniversité ou école supérieure
Department of Experimental Psychology — Ghent University, Henry Dunant Hospital et Department of Psychology — Utrecht University, avec 5 autres affiliations.
Une affiliation ne permet pas de déduire la nationalité d’un auteur.