The role of feedback in learning a vernier discrimination task

• Published in: Vision research (Oxford) Vol. 37; no. 15; pp. 2133 - 2141
• Main Authors: Herzog, Michael H., Fahle, Manfred
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.08.1997; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: (Un)supervised learning; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Discrimination (Psychology) - physiology; Feedback; Form Perception - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Hyperacuity; Learning; Miscellaneous; Modeling; Neural networks; Neural Networks (Computer); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Sensory Thresholds - physiology; Hyperacuity; Neural networks; (Un)supervised learning; Modeling; Vernier acuity; Human; Acquisition process; Methodology; Feedback regulation; Perception; Perceptive learning; Performance; Discrimination task; Visual task
• ISSN: 0042-6989; 1878-5646
• DOI: 10.1016/S0042-6989(97)00043-6

We compare improvement through training in vernier acuity under different feedback conditions in order to clarify the role of feedback during learning of a perceptual task and to test different (neural network) models of perceptual learning. Improvement of performance is measured in 49 observers under feedback, no feedback, uncorrelated feedback, partial feedback, and block feedback conditions. Correct feedback conditions yield a larger improvement of performance than manipulated and no feedback conditions. Providing feedback that is uncorrelated to the observers' responses prevents learning, while the effect of block feedback does not differ significantly from complete feedback. Our results cannot be explained by learning rules that depend exclusively on an external teacher or by models that propose learning in an exposure-dependent way with unsupervised learning rules but without top-down influences.