You have full access to this open access article. Despite a growing body of research into similarities and differences between active and observational learning, it is as yet unclear if Pavlovian learning biases are specific for active task performance, i. The present study, therefore, investigated the influence of action and outcome valence in active and observational feedback learning. Moreover, in a more naturalistic follow-up experiment, pairs of subjects were tested with the same task, with one subject as active learner and the other as observational learner.
The results revealed Pavlovian learning biases both in active and in observational learning, with learning of go responses facilitated in the context of reward obtainment, and learning of nogo responses facilitated in the context of loss avoidance.
Although the neural correlates of active and observational feedback learning have been shown to differ to some extent, these findings suggest similar mechanisms to underlie both types of learning with respect to the influence of Pavlovian biases.
Moreover, performance levels and result patterns were similar in those observational learners who had observed a virtual co-player and those who had completed the task together with an active learner, suggesting that inclusion of a virtual co-player in a computerized task provides an effective manipulation of agency. The ability to adjust behavior based on action consequences is critical in dynamic or novel environments.
The Law of Effect put forward by Edward Thorndike states that responses which produce a satisfying or pleasing effect in a particular situation become more likely to occur again in that situation, and responses that produce a discomforting effect or fail to elicit pleasure become less likely to occur again in that situation Thorndike, But not all contingencies between actions or decisions and their outcomes are learned equally! Guitart-Masip et al. More recent research has highlighted the importance of the specific context in which learning occurs.
