Distinct error-correcting and incidental learning of location relative to landmarks and boundaries.

ABSTRACT: Associative reinforcement provides a powerful explanation of learned behavior. However, an unproven but long-held conjecture holds that spatial learning can occur incidentally rather than by reinforcement. Using a carefully controlled virtual-reality object-location memory task, we formally demonstrate that locations are concurrently learned relative to both local landmarks and local boundaries but that landmark-learning obeys associative reinforcement (showing "overshadowing" and "blocking" or "learned irrelevance"), whereas boundary-learning is incidental, showing neither overshadowing nor blocking nor learned irrelevance. Crucially, both types of learning occur at similar rates and do not reflect differences in levels of performance, cue salience, or instructions. These distinct types o

SUBMITTER: Doeller CF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2311326 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature