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The rational use of causal inference to guide reinforcement learning strengthens with age

Psychology

The rational use of causal inference to guide reinforcement learning strengthens with age

A. O. Cohen, K. Nussenbaum, et al.

Discover how beliefs about environmental controllability shape learning from childhood to adulthood in a recent study conducted by Alexandra O. Cohen, Kate Nussenbaum, Hayley M. Dorfman, Samuel J. Gershman, and Catherine A. Hartley. The research reveals that while adults and adolescents utilize causal inference in their learning, younger children tend to rely only on simple outcomes. Don't miss this insightful exploration into cognitive development!

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Playback language: English
Abstract
This study investigated how beliefs about environmental controllability influence learning across the lifespan. Ninety participants (ages 7-25) performed a reinforcement learning task with varying levels of hidden agent intervention (positive, negative, or random). Adults and adolescents incorporated beliefs about agent intervention into their learning, while children primarily relied on simple outcome-based learning. This suggests that the ability to use causal inference to guide reinforcement learning develops across adolescence and into adulthood.
Publisher
npj Science of Learning
Published On
Oct 27, 2020
Authors
Alexandra O. Cohen, Kate Nussenbaum, Hayley M. Dorfman, Samuel J. Gershman, Catherine A. Hartley
Tags
environmental controllability
learning
reinforcement learning
development
causal inference
adolescence

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