Effects of a secondary task on "implicit" sequence learning: learning or performance?

Full Abstract

Traditionally, implicit learning has been defined in terms of a lack of awareness of the process and products of learning. In the face of a number of conceptual and empirical difficulties with this definition, it has recently been suggested instead that the critical feature of implicit learning is that it proceeds without making any demands on attentional resources. As disconfirmatory evidence for this, we describe the results of two experiments which each used a sequential reaction time task. With a tone-counting secondary task, measures of sequence learning were significantly affected by whether training occurred under single- or dual-task conditions, regardless of whether testing took place under single- or dual-task conditions.

Author information

Author/s: Shanks, David R (DR); Channon, Shelley (S);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University College London, Gower St., London WC1E 6BT, UK. d.shanks(-atsign-)ucl.ac.uk

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Psychological research (Psychol Res), published in Germany. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-May; vol 66 (issue 2) : pp 99-109

Dates: Created 2002/07/22; Completed 2002/09/06; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 12132119, status: MEDLINE (last retrieved date: 2/18/2009)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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