Practice and Preparation Time Facilitate System-Switching in Perceptual Categorization

Abstract

Mounting evidence suggests that category learning is achieved using different psychological and biological systems. While existing multiple-system theories and models of categorization may disagree about the number or nature of the different systems, all assume that people can switch between systems seamlessly. However, little empirical data has been collected to test this assumption, and recent available data suggest that system-switching is difficult. The main goal of this article is to identify factors influencing the proportion of participants who successfully learn to switch between procedural and declarative systems on a trial-by-trial basis. Specifically, we tested the effects of preparation time and practice, two factors that have been useful in task-switching, in a system-switching experiment. The results suggest that practice and preparation time can be beneficial to system-switching (as calculated by a higher proportion of switchers and lower switch costs), especially when they are jointly present. However, this improved system-switching comes at the cost of a larger button-switch interference when changing the location of the response buttons. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings for empirical research on system-switching and theoretical work on multiple-systems of category learning.

Categorization system-switching deficits in typical aging and Parkinson’s disease.

“…As can be seen, 52.2% of YC were identified as switchers. This is in line with previous results with undergraduate students (Hélie, 2017). However, only 30.0% of the participants in the OC group and 15% of the participants in the PD group were identified as switchers.…”

“…Participants who can or cannot switch systems on a trial–by–trial basis are typically identified using model–based analysis (Ashby & Crossley, 2010; Crossley et al, in press; Erickson, 2008; Hélie, 2017). Specifically, the data from the intermixed trials block (Block 6 identified with a ‘M’ in Figure 3) were selected and RB trials were separated from II trials.…”

“…Previous research has shown that trial–by–trial system–switching in categorization is extremely difficult for young adults (Ashby & Crossley, 2010; Crossley et al, in press; Erickson, 2008; Hélie, 2017). However, categorization system–switching had never been studied with older adults.…”

“…and ⌺ D ϭ ⌺ C . The stimulus arbitrary coordinate system was then rescaled into a frequency ϫ orientation space using a nonlinear transformation (Hélie, 2017). This yielded stimuli ranging in frequency from 0.29 to 8.6 cpd and from 34°to 95°in orientation (counterclockwise from horizontal).…”

“…With continuous–dimension stimuli, Crossley et al (in press) obtained a proportion of undergraduate student switchers of about 40%. The highest proportion of undergraduate student switchers observed so far is 65.7% (Hélie, 2017). This higher proportion of switchers required 2 sessions of training and preparation time for system–switching before the categorization stimulus is presented.…”