Contingency is used to prepare for outcomes: Implications for a functional analysis of learning |
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Authors: | Fernando Blanco Helena Matute Miguel A Vadillo |
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Institution: | 1.Departamento de Psicología,Universidad de Deusto,Bilbao,Spain |
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Abstract: | It is generally assumed that the function of contingency learning is to predict the occurrence of important events in order
to prepare for them. This assumption, however, has scarcely been tested. Moreover, the little evidence that is available suggests
just the opposite result. People do not use contingency to prepare for outcomes, nor to predict their occurrence, although
they do use it to infer the causal and predictive value of cues. By using both judgmental and behavioral data, we designed
the present experiments as a further test for this assumption. The results show that—at least under certain conditions—people
do use contingency to prepare for outcomes, even though they would still not use it to predict their occurrence. The functional
and adaptive aspects of these results are discussed in the present article. |
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