The effect of response-to-stimulus interval on children’s implicit sequence learning

Authors

Witt, A., Poulin-Charronnat, B., Bard, P., Vinter, A.

Year

2023

Title

The effect of response-to-stimulus interval on children’s implicit sequence learning

Journal / book / conference

Journal of Experimental Child Psychology

Abstract

The present study examines, for the first time in a developmental perspective, the effect of response-to-stimulus interval (RSI) in incidental sequence learning (SL). Children aged 4, 7, and 10 years performed a serial reaction time (SRT) task in which the RSI was systematically manipulated (0-, 250-, 500-, and 750-msec). SL (difference in RTs between fixed and random blocks) was not observed for the youngest children whatever the RSI condition, while the 7-year-olds learned the sequence only in the 250-msec RSI condition, and the 10-year-olds exhibited SL in all temporal conditions except the 500-msec RSI condition. Finally, the results suggest that conscious awareness of the sequence emerges only in older children faced for the 500- and 750-msec RSI conditions. The discussion questions the robustness of implicit learning processes in the light of individual and contextual factors.

Volume

232

Pages

105668

Keywords

incidental learning, implicit sequence learning, serial reaction time task, response-to-stimulus interval, development, children

relative links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105668

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