It is unclear how implicit prior knowledge is involved and remains persistent in the extraction of the statistical structure underlying sensory input. Therefore, this study investigated whether the implicit knowledge of second-order transitional probabilities characterizing a stream of visual stimuli impacts the processing of unpredictable transitional probabilities embedded in a similar input stream. Young adults (N = 50) performed a four-choice reaction time (RT) task that consisted of structured and unstructured blocks. In the structured blocks, more probable and less probable short-range nonadjacent transitional probabilities were present. In the unstructured blocks, the unique combinations of the short-range transitional probabilities occurred with equal probability; therefore, they were unpredictable. All task blocks were visually identical at the surface level. While one-half of the participants completed the structured blocks first followed by the unstructured blocks, this was reversed in the other half of them. The change in the structure was not explicitly denoted, and no feedback was provided on the correctness of each response. Participants completing the structured blocks first showed faster RTs to more probable than to less probable short-range transitional probabilities in both the structured and unstructured blocks, indicating the persistent effect of prior knowledge. However, after extended exposure to the unstructured blocks, they updated this prior knowledge. Participants completing the unstructured blocks first showed the RT difference only in the structured blocks, which was not constrained by the preceding exposure to unpredictable stimuli. The results altogether suggest that implicitly acquired prior knowledge of predictable stimuli influences the processing of subsequent unpredictable stimuli. Updating this prior knowledge seems to require a longer stretch of time than its initial acquisition.

目前尚不清楚隐含的先验知识如何涉及并在提取感觉输入基础的统计结构时保持持久性。因此，本研究调查了表征视觉刺激流的二阶过渡概率的隐式知识是否会影响嵌入类似输入流中的不可预测过渡概率的处理。年轻人（N = 50）执行了由结构化和非结构化块组成的四项反应时间（RT）任务。在结构化块中，存在更可能和不太可能的短程非相邻过渡概率。在非结构化块中，短距离过渡概率的唯一组合以相等的概率发生；因此，它们是不可预测的。所有任务块在表面上在视觉上都是相同的。一半的参与者先完成结构化块，然后再完成非结构化块，但另一半则相反。没有明确指出结构的变化，并且没有提供有关每个响应的正确性的反馈。完成结构化区块的参与者首先在结构化和非结构化区块中都显示出更快的RT，而不是较小的短程过渡概率。这表明了先验知识的持久影响。但是，在长时间暴露于非结构化块之后，他们更新了此先验知识。参与者完成非结构化块首先显示RT差异仅在结构化块中，不受先前暴露于不可预测的刺激的约束。结果完全表明，隐式获得的可预测刺激的先验知识会影响后续不可预测刺激的处理。更新此先验知识似乎需要比最初获得更长的时间。