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    Spontaneous causal learning while controlling a dynamic system 
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    Spontaneous causal learning while controlling a dynamic system

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    Accepted Version (4.696Mb)
    Volume
    3
    Pagination
    145 - 162 (17)
    Publisher
    Bentham Science
    Publisher URL
    http://www.benthamscience.com/open/topsyj/articles/V003/SI0088TOPSYJ/145TOPSYJ.pdf
    Journal
    Open Psychology Journal
    ISSN
    1874-3501
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    When dealing with a dynamic causal system people may employ a variety of different strategies. One of these strategies is causal learning, that is, learning about the causal structure and parameters of the system acted upon. In two experiments we examined whether people spontaneously induce a causal model when learning to control the state of an outcome value in a dynamic causal system. After the control task, we modified the causal structure of the environment and assessed decision makers’ sensitivity to this manipulation. While purely instrumental knowledge does not support inferences given the new modified structure, causal knowledge does. The results showed that most participants learned the structure of the underlying causal system. However, participants acquired surprisingly little knowledge of the system’s parameters when the causal processes that governed the system were not perceptually separated (Experiment 1). Knowledge improved considerably once processes were separated and feedback was made more transparent (Experiment 2). These findings indicate that even without instruction, causal learning is a favored strategy for interacting with and controlling a dynamic causal system.
    Authors
    Hagmayer, Y; Meder, B; Osman, M; Mangold, S; Lagnado, D
    URI
    http://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/1021
    Collections
    • School of Biological and Chemical Sciences [1925]
    Language
    English
    Copyright statements
    © 2010 The Author(s)
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