Wie kann man Geübtheit in Konzentrationstests erkennbar machen?

Zusammenfassung. Bei mehrmaliger Wiederholung eines Konzentrationstests kommt es zu einer Leistungsverbesserung, die aber keiner Fähigkeitsverbesserung entspricht. Diese Geübtheit erkennbar zu machen, ist das Ziel dieser Arbeit. Zum Erkennen der Übung wurden das Paradigma des “Aufgabenwechsels” und die dabei entstehenden Wechselkosten genutzt. Dreißig Personen trainierten einen Computer-Konzentrationstest nach dem Prinzip des Consistent Mapping (ein Reiz ist immer Zielreiz, ein anderer immer Distraktor) und weitere 30 Probanden nach dem Prinzip des Varied Mapping (ein Reiz ist abwechselnd Zielreiz bzw. Distraktor), jeweils dreimal, und zwar zu verschiedenen Terminen im Abstand von drei bis vier Tagen. Die Abschlussmessung wurde bei beiden Gruppen nach dem Varied-Mapping-Prinzip zum Ende der dritten Sitzung durchgeführt. Um die Geübtheit zu erkennen, wurden die Wechselkosten bei der ersten Messung der Varied-Mapping-Gruppe und der Abschlussmessung der Consistent-Mapping-Gruppe verglichen. Mit Hilfe einer Diskriminanzanalyse wurden 75% der Personen zu den Gruppen mit vorheriger Übung bzw. ohne vorherige Übung richtig zugeordnet. Am besten wurden die Gruppen getrennt durch die Reaktionszeiten vor und nach dem Wechsel von der nicht geübten Aufgabe zur geübten Aufgabe und durch den Fehleranteil direkt nach diesem Wechsel.

The Influence of Stimulus Dimensions and Training on Visual Search Performance

Traditional studies of attention, training and visual search have focused on the use of separable dimensions (usually alphanumeric stimuli), and equating the number of items in consistent versus varied mapping training paradigms. However, the design of visual displays requires a heavy reliance upon configural and integral dimensions (stimuli that group). This set of studies examines the effects of configural dimensions (also using alphanumeric stimuli), as well as equating the number of training trials on specific targets between consistent versus varied mapping conditions. Predictions from extant theories of attention and visual search will be discussed where relevant. Results show that both factors have a large influence on the effects of training in visual search tasks. The influence of these variables needs to be incorporated into current theories of attention and visual search, especially as they are applied to the design of graphical user interfaces and visual displays.

Age Differences on a Paired-Associates Task: How Does Practice Type and Order Affect Training?

The purpose of this research was to determine if manipulating the order and type of practice would affect the outcome of training for both young and older adults. We examined age differences in performance on a paired-associates task in which type and order of practice were manipulated. Two versions of a noun-pair associates task were used; in the consistent mapping (CM) version the noun-pairs did not change from trial to trial; in the varied mapping version (VM) the noun-pairs changed from trial to trial. The CM task allowed the subjects to learn the noun-pairs whereas the VM task required that subjects always refer to a key in order to perform the task. Two groups of subjects were trained and the order in which they received the CM and VM versions was manipulated between groups. There were group differences in initial performance on the CM task for both young and older adults. The data indicate that having performed the task at all provided some benefit in terms of reaction time. The subjects were able to acquire the skill of performing the task in the first version they performed and this skill acquisition aided their subsequent performance. In addition, the benefits of prior practice were longer-lasting for older adults relative to young adults.

Transfer of Automatic Component Processes to Compatible, Incompatible, and Conflict Situations: Issues for Retraining

An experiment was conducted to examine the potential negative effects of automatic task components in situations requiring re-use or inhibition of those components. Participants trained on a category search task for 8,400 trials in three consistent (CM) and one varied mapping (VM) conditions. Following training, 2,352 trials were completed in seven transfer conditions. Results suggest that skill transfers to similar task situations. However, the data demonstrate that if the transfer situations are incompatible or prior learning must be inhibited, performance is disrupted. Although each condition improved after 336 transfer trials, performance did not reach pre-transfer levels in incompatible or inhibited conditions. The present data are useful for predicting transfer performance when skill components are trained to automaticity using a part-task methodology.

Age-Related Effects of Stimulus-Specific Context on Perceptual Learning

The focus of the present study was the investigation of age-related differences in perceptual learning under conditions of consistent mapping (CM), varied mapping (VM), and context-specific training. Context-specific training involved conditions where specific target and distractor sets were paired consistently within a condition but were inconsistent across conditions. Eight young (mean age 25) and eight old (mean age 67) subjects participated for 8000 trials of training and 3200 trials of various transfer conditions. The transfer conditions were designed to ascertain the extent to which the subjects had automatized their performance in each of the training conditions. The training results yielded significant differences between young and old adults only under CM training. Performance in the context conditions for young adults mimicked that of the old subjects in the CM condition. The training results suggest that manipulations which disrupt the development of attention-calling strength of stimuli lead to equivalent performance for young and old adults. The transfer results provide similar information. It is proposed that the ability to “strengthen” target information is disrupted in older adults. Based on our previous and the present findings, processing principles are presented which outline important differential considerations for training young and/or older adults.

Perceptual Learning: Theory and Practice

Perceptual learning is required in a number of different contexts. Certain paradigms have been found to speed this learning, others to slow if not altogether inhibit it. The objectives of this study are twofold. First, an experimental test is described of an alternative explanation or model of the finding that perceptual learning is facilitated in consistent mapping tasks, but not in varied mapping ones (Schneider and Shiffrin, 1977). Second, it is shown how the model can be used to select from a set of equally acceptable graphical or symbolic representations of an object that representation which minimizes the time it takes to find the object in a visual search task.

Examining Consistent/Varied Mapping Training Distinctions in Complex Tasks

In the present paper, the distinction between consistent and varied mapping typically found in the visual search laboratory is described and assessed. The meaningfulness of the CM/VM distinction in relation to complex industrial tasks is experimentally evaluated. It is concluded that automatic and controlled processing theory could potentially make a significant contribution to the development of enhanced training programs in industry.