An abbreviated implicit spatial context learning task that yields greater learning.

Full Abstract

The spatial contextual cuing task (SCCT) (Chun & Jiang, 1998) is an implicit learning task that appears to depend on the medial temporal lobes. This unusual combination has been of interest in functional imaging studies and research with clinical populations, where testing time is at a premium. However, the original version of the SCCT is time-consuming. In this study, 29 young adults (age range, 18-22 years) completed the SCCT, in which participants respond to the orientation of a target in arrays containing 11 distractors. Either 12 (original version) or 6 (abbreviated version) arrays repeated across the experiment, with the remaining novel arrays being generated randomly. Results revealed that the magnitude of learning (faster responses to repeated versus novel arrays) was larger when there were fewer repeated arrays, with no explicit awareness in most participants. Thus, the abbreviated version remained implicit, with the additional benefit of increasing the magnitude of learning.

Author information

Author/s: Bennett, Ilana J (IJ); Barnes, Kelly Anne (KA); Howard, James H (JH); Howard, Darlene V (DV);

Affiliation: Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA. ijb5(-atsign-)georgetown.edu

Grants: F31 AG030874 (Agency:NIA NIH HHS) ; R37 AG15450 (Agency:NIA NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Journal: Behavior research methods (Behav Res Methods), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-May; vol 41 (issue 2) : pp 391-5

Dates: Created 2009/04/13; Completed 2009/06/02;

PMID: 19363179, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 6/2/2009, IMS Date: )

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

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