Elsevier

Learning and Motivation

Volume 77, February 2022, 101781
Learning and Motivation

The influence of outcome unpredictability and uncontrollability on subsequent learning in an instrumental task

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lmot.2022.101781Get rights and content
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Abstract

Outcome predictability is described as learning bias in a new environment, where participants learn better about an outcome with a history of predictability than an outcome with a history of unpredictability. Several studies have shown evidence of this effect. However, the characteristics and mechanism of the outcome predictability effect are not well understood yet. The outcome predictability effect has been proven to have the similarities with learned helplessness effect in terms of the lack of motivation to learn about an outcome. Despite their similarities from a motivational perspective, these two effects have been investigated using different paradigms and study designs. Also, the generalizability of these two effects differs broadly. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the two effects. We designed a new computer-based instrumental conditioning experiment inspired by Tiggemann and Winefield (1987) where participants had to stop different tones of different controllability and predictability properties. We expected to find both the learned helplessness and outcome predictability effect, in which participants would learn better about the controllable and predictable outcomes compared to the uncontrollable and unpredictable ones. Two experiments were conducted for this matter, manipulating both the controllability and predictability of the tone. We observed a global learned helplessness-like effect, that is, participants learned better about the previously controllable and predictable outcome. Our results suggest that a learned helplessness-like effect could be observed in this computer-based task. However, we did not observe the outcome predictability effect using this task.

Keywords

Outcome predictability
Outcome controllability
Learned helplessness
Instrumental conditioning
Learning bias

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