Explicitly predicting outcomes enhances learning of expectancy-violating information

Abstract: Predictive coding models suggest that the brain constantly makes predictions about what will happen next based on past experiences. Learning is triggered by surprising events, i.e., a prediction error. Does it benefit learning when these predictions are made deliberately, so that an individual explicitly commits to an outcome before experiencing it? Across two experiments, we tested whether generating an explicit prediction before seeing numerical facts boosts learning of expectancy-violating information relative to doing so post hoc. Across both experiments, predicting boosted memory for highly unexpected outcomes, leading to a U-shaped relation between expectedness and memory. In the post hoc condition, memory performance decreased with increased unexpectedness. Pupillary data of Experiment 2 further indicated that the pupillary surprise response to highly expectancy-violating outcomes predicted successful learning of these outcomes. Together, these findings suggest that ...

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: In: Psychonomic bulletin & review 29 (2022) 6, S. 2192-2201 ; ISSN: 1531-5320 ; (DE-600)1188264-5

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Frankfurt
• (who): DIPF Frankfurt am Main, NP-Ablieferer
• (when): 2022
• Creator: Brod, Garvin ; Greve, Andrea ; Jolles, Dietsje ; Theobald, Maria ; Galeano-Keiner, Elena M.

Further information

• DOI: 10.25656/01:26348
• URN: urn:nbn:de:0111-pedocs-263489
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 25.03.2025, 1:48 PM CET