Interactive, unintentional, and incidental learningIn our daily lives, we learn by interacting with the statistically structured sensory world in pursuit of complex goals. This line of research examines how we learn with incidental feedback that is aligned with our actions, but not overtly related to our task goals. We use interactive video game paradigms and virtual reality to understand how people learn in naturalistic and engaging environments.
Roark, C. L., Lehet, M. I., Dick, F., & Holt, L. L. (2022). The representational glue for incidental category learning is alignment with task-relevant behavior. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. Roark, C. L. & Holt, L. L. (2018). Task and sampling distribution affect auditory category learning. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics. |
The role of modality in learningThe world around us is complex and full of information from different sensory modalities. However, much of the research on how we learn about the sensory world focuses only on learning in the visual modality. As a result, it is not yet clear whether learning in different sensory modalities is supported by shared or specific neural and cognitive mechanisms. In this line of work, we seek to better understand the role of sensory modality in learning. The long-term goal of this line of work is to create a unified theory of perceptual learning across different sensory modalities. We are particularly interested in understanding the nature of underlying perceptual representations and how this depends on modality-specific experience.
Roark, C. L. & Holt (2022). Long-term priors constrain category learning in the context of short-term statistical regularities. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review. Roark, C. L., Plaut, D. C., & Holt, L. L. (2022). A neural network model of the effect of prior experience with regularities on subsequent category learning. Cognition. Roark, C. L., Paulon, G., Sarkar, A., & Chandrasekaran, B. (2021). Comparing perceptual category learning across modalities in the same individuals. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review. |
Individual differences in learning and interventions to make learning more equitableIndividuals differ widely in how they approach new learning situations and how well they learn. In this line of research, we seek to better understand the sources of individual differences in learning and how we can improve learning in those who struggle to learn effectively. The ultimate goal of this line of work is to make learning opportunities and outcomes more equitable by understanding what helps or hinders effective learning.
Roark, C. L., Smayda, K. E., & Chandrasekaran, B. (2022). Auditory and visual category learning in musicians and non- musicians. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. Roark, C. L. & Chandrasekaran, B. (2023). Stable, flexible, common, and distinct behaviors support rule-based and information-integration category learning. npj Science of Learning. |
The role of language in learning
Humans have the unique ability to use language to help us learn. We can guide our behavior through instructions and learn much more quickly than through trial-and-error alone. In this line of work, we are investigating the role this linguistic ability plays in supporting learning. How is learning affected when verbal processes are inhibited? How do people use verbal strategies to process feedback during learning and update their internal models of a learning task? How do we use language to learn in collaborative and social environments compared to when we are learning alone? How can humans work with language-based AI models to enhance learning inside and outside of the classroom?
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