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Spatial separation of target and competitor cues enhances blocking of human causality judgements

Spatial separation of target and competitor cues enhances blocking of human causality judgements
Spatial separation of target and competitor cues enhances blocking of human causality judgements
Three experiments were carried out. Each required subjects to make judgements about the causal status of cues following a two-stage blocking procedure. In Stage 1 a competitor cue was consistently paired with an outcome, and in Stage 2 the competitor continued to be paired with the outcome but was accompanied by a target cue. It was predicted that causal judgements for the target would be reduced by the presence of the competitor. In Experiments 1 and 2 the blocking procedure was implemented as a computer simulation of a card game during which subjects had to learn which cards produced the best payouts. The cues that subjects used to make their judgement were colours and symbols that appeared on the backs of the cards. When the target and competitor cues appeared on the same card blocking effects did not emerge, but when they appeared as part of different cards blocking effects were found. Thus, spatial separation of target and competitor cues appeared to facilitate blocking. Experiment 3 replicated the blocking result using spatially separated target and competitor cues.
121-135
Glautier, Steven
d4a724ca-32ee-4cef-8a3e-8131b33f914a
Glautier, Steven
d4a724ca-32ee-4cef-8a3e-8131b33f914a

Glautier, Steven (2002) Spatial separation of target and competitor cues enhances blocking of human causality judgements. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Section B, 55 (2), 121-135. (doi:10.1080/02724990143000207).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Three experiments were carried out. Each required subjects to make judgements about the causal status of cues following a two-stage blocking procedure. In Stage 1 a competitor cue was consistently paired with an outcome, and in Stage 2 the competitor continued to be paired with the outcome but was accompanied by a target cue. It was predicted that causal judgements for the target would be reduced by the presence of the competitor. In Experiments 1 and 2 the blocking procedure was implemented as a computer simulation of a card game during which subjects had to learn which cards produced the best payouts. The cues that subjects used to make their judgement were colours and symbols that appeared on the backs of the cards. When the target and competitor cues appeared on the same card blocking effects did not emerge, but when they appeared as part of different cards blocking effects were found. Thus, spatial separation of target and competitor cues appeared to facilitate blocking. Experiment 3 replicated the blocking result using spatially separated target and competitor cues.

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Published date: 1 April 2002
Organisations: University of Southampton

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Local EPrints ID: 141588
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/141588
PURE UUID: 23dca61d-0da3-4150-b177-68a8a5edc6ed

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Date deposited: 29 Mar 2010 14:31
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 00:37

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Author: Steven Glautier

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