The role of awareness in anticipation and recall performance in the Hebb repetition paradigm: implications for sequence learning

Abstract

Sequence learning has notably been studied using the Hebb repetition paradigm (Hebb, 1961) and the serial reaction time (SRT) task (Nissen & Bullemer, Cognitive Psychology 19:1-32, 1987). These two paradigms produce robust learning effects but differ with regard to the role of awareness: Awareness does not affect learning a repeated sequence in the Hebb repetition paradigm, as is evidenced by recall performance, whereas in the SRT task, awareness helps to anticipate the location of the next stimulus. In this study, we examined the role of awareness in anticipation and recall performance, using the Hebb repetition paradigm. Eye movements were monitored during a spatial reconstruction task where participants had to memorize sequences of dot locations. One sequence was repeated every four trials. Results showed that recall performance for the repeated sequence improved across repetitions for all participants but that anticipation increased only for participants aware of the repetition.

Hebb repetition effects for non-verbal visual sequences: determinants of sequence acquisition

“…Baddeley & Hitch, 1974;Baddeley, 2000), the Hebb repetition effect is not confined only to verbal stimuli. Indeed, it has been shown with, for example, visual (Horton, Hay, & Smyth, 2008;Page, Cumming, Norris, Hitch, & McNeil, 2006), visuo-spatial (Couture & Tremblay, 2006;Guérard, Saint-Aubin, Boucher, & Tremblay, 2011;Tremblay & Saint-Aubin, 2009;Turcotte, Gagnon, & Poirier, 2005), auditory-spatial (Parmentier, Maybery, Huitson & Jones, 2008;Lafond, Tremblay, & Parmentier, 2010), olfactory (Johnson, Cauchi, & Miles, 2013), and tactile (Johnson, Shaw, & Miles, 2016) stimuli. Furthermore, the range of stimuli demonstrating the Hebb repetition effect suggest that it is underpinned by a generalised characteristic of sequence learning, and not confined to storage in the phonological loop (Page et al, 2006).…”

Learning multiple lists at the same time in the Hebb repetition effect.

“…This is known as the Hebb repetition effect (Hebb, 1961). In the present study, we contrasted the typical condition involving a single repeated sequence with concurrent learning of 2 repeated sequences.…”

“…In 1998, Baddeley, Gathercole, and Papagno (1998) suggested that working memory would be responsible for word learning. In this context, the Hebb repetition effect (Hebb, 1961) has been proposed as a good experimental analogue to word-form learning (Hitch, Flude, & Burgess, 2009;Mosse & Jarrold, 2008;Page, Cumming, Norris, McNeil, & Hitch, 2013;Page & Norris, 2009). Indeed, the Hebb repetition paradigm requires participants to memorize short sequences of items (e.g., digits) in their presentation order.…”

“…In two recent articles, the Hebb repetition effect was investigated with multiple repeated lists (Hitch et al, 2009;Page et al, 2013). The first demonstration of a Hebb repetition effect with two repeated lists was offered by Hitch et al (2009).…”

“…The first demonstration of a Hebb repetition effect with two repeated lists was offered by Hitch et al (2009). In their third experiment, Hitch et al investigated the impact of phonological similarity on Hebb learning by including one repeated list composed of the letters BCDGPTVK and one repeated dissimilar list composed of the letters JFHQRYZL.…”