engleski

The influence of prior knowledge on category learning and metacognitive monitoring

The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of prior knowledge on classification accuracy and metacognitive monitoring during learning of two categories of verbally described imaginary animals. Each category member consisted of six features: five characteristic and one idiosyncratic. Characteristic features defined the empirical category structures, while idiosyncratic features activated consistent or inconsistent prior knowledge about predators and prey. Classifications of category members and single-features describing those members were examined. In Experiment 1 (N=56) categories were given meaningless names, so minimal prior knowledge could be activated only by idiosyncratic features. In Experiment 2 (N=51) categories were labelled as ‘predator’ or ‘prey’ in order to additionally activate prior knowledge. In both experiments the results showed an increase in accuracy as a function of learning blocks followed by an increase in judgments throughout the learning process. Furthermore, the results of Experiment 1 showed that, in the initial stage of learning, single-feature classification accuracy and confidence were influenced by minimal prior knowledge only when it was consistent. In both conditions, empirical category structures and prior knowledge interacted in the later learning process. The results of Experiment 2 showed that when prior knowledge is consistent, accuracy and confidence are strongly influenced by prior knowledge throughout the learning process. As a conclusion, metacognitive monitoring is found to be consistent with classification accuracy. Furthermore, when prior knowledge is minimal the results support an integrated learning view showing that empirical category structures and prior knowledge interact in the course of learning. When the activation of prior knowledge is strengthened by category labels, the results support the attentional focus view showing facilitated learning of knowledge relevant idiosyncratic features.

prior knowledge ; category learning ; metacognitive monitoring ; characteristic features ; idiosyncratic features

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