1. How Individual Differences and Task Load May Affect Feedback Use When Learning a New Task Christopher M. Kelley & Anne Collins McLaughlin North Carolina State University September 26, 2008
2. Some Definitions Feedback - Information from an external source about performance meant to guide learning (Kluger & DeNsi, 1996). Performance vs. Learning measures (Brosvic, Dihoff, Epstein, & Cook, 2006; McLaughlin, 2007; Salmoni, Schmidt, & Walter, 1984; Schmidt & Bjork, 1992) Feedback support (McLaughlin, 2007)
3. Conceptual Directive Rare Every Trial Lengthy Delay Immediate SUPPORT Low High Introduction to Feedback Parameters Content information contained in feedback (FB) Frequency absolute or relative; generally # of trials receiving FB Timing amount of delay between precipitating action and FB
9. A Measure of Cognitive Resources Working memory capacity is the amount of attentional processes available to an individual as well as the ability to focus and allocate these processes ((Engle, Kane & Tuholski, 1999 ).
11. Method Purpose: To investigate the relationship between cognitive resources, task demand and the feedback required to learn a cognitive task Participants Younger Adults Task Simple & complex version Feedback Summary High Design Between Participants Independent Variables Feedback Support Task Demand Age (quasi) Dependent variables Performance in Acquisition Retention
12. Procedure 3 days Complete ability tests Acquisition (18 trials) Retention (12 trials) Feedback No Feedback Retention Test More Less
13. The Task: Furniture Factory Decisions Results Employee 1 Job Goal Performance Feedback Reward Was it fair? Employee 2 Job Goal Performance Feedback Reward
14. Pilot Study Participants 8 low WMC and 12 high WMC 2 (Feedback specificity: low, high) × 2 (WMC: low, high)× 3 (Exploration strategy: systematic, unsystematic) factorial
18. Retention Results Con’t Regression analysis indicates WMC, exploration strategy and acquisition performance significantly predict retention test performance
19. Application Results of full study used to develop guidelines for individual training Develop more effective feedback prescriptions Creating a better match between individual characters and requirements for learning a new cognitive task
Working memory is a good measure of cognitive resources for learning. Highly correlated with reasoning and fluid intelligence.
Control for cognitive resources in an extreme groups design with high and low working memory capacity (WMC) learners Control for task demand by manipulating the amount of feedback learners receive while learning a new task
