Abstract
Implicit serial learning occurs when indirect measures such as transfer reveal learning of a repeating sequence even when subjects are not informed ofthe repeating sequence, are not asked to learn it, and do not become of aware of it. This phenomenon is reminiscent of an experiment by Hebb(1961), who studied the repetition of sequences in a serial recall task. Two experiments investigated the relation between implicit serial learning and ideas about learning forwarded by Hebb and others who used his method. The experiments showed that implicit serial learning occurs even when the repeating sequence is intermixed with randomly generated sequences instead of being repeated continuously, that the organization of the sequence into regularly or irregularly grouped subsequences determines the extent of learning, and that the repetition effect observed does not depend on subjects' ability to recognize the repetition.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bower, G. H., & Winzenz, D. (1969). Group structure, coding, and memory for digit series.Journal of Experimental PsychologyMonographs,80(3, Pt. 2).
Cheesman, J., &Merikle, P. M. (1986). Distinguishing conscious from unconscious perceptual processes.Canadian Journal of Psychology,40, 343–367.
Cohen.A., Ivey, R. I., &Keele, S. W. (1990). Attention and structurein sequence learning.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,16, 17–30.
Curran, T., &Keele, S. W. (1993). Attentional and nonattentional forms of sequence learning.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,19, 189–202.
Dulany, D. E., Carlson, R. A., &Dewey, G. I. (1984). A case of syntactic learning and judgment: How conscious and how abstract?Journal of Experimental Psychology: General,113, 541–555.
Dulany, D. E., Carlson, R. A., &Dewey, G. I. (1985). On consciousness in syntactic learning and judgment: A reply to Reber, Allen, and Regan.Journal of Experimental Psychology: General,114, 25–32,
Fendrich, D. M., Healy, A. F., &Bourne, L. E., Jr. (1991). Longterm repetition effects for motoric and perceptual procedures.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,17, 137–151.
Greenwald, A. G. (1992). New Look 3: Unconscious cognition reclaimed.American Psychologist,47, 766–779.
Hartman, M., Knoeman, D. S., &Nissen, M. 3. (1989). Implicit learning of new verbal associations.Journal ofExperimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,15, 1070–1082.
Hebb, D. 0. (1961). Distinctive features of learning in the higher animal. In B. F. Delafresnaye (Ed.),Brain mechanisms and learning (pp. 37–46). Oxford: Blackwell.
Holender, D. (1986). Semantic activation without conscious identification in dichotic listening, parafoveal vision, and visual masking: A survey and appraisal.Behavioral & Brain Sciences,9, 1–23.
Jacoby, L. L., &Brooks, L. R. (1984). Nonanalytic cognition: Memory, perception, and concept learning. In G. H. Bower (Ed.),The psychology of learning and nwtivation (Vol. 18; pp. 1–47). New York: Academic Press.
Jacoby, L. L., Woloshyn, V., &Kelley, C. (1989). Becoming famous without being recognized: Unconscious influence of memory produced by dividing attention.Journal of Experimental Psychology: General,118, 115–125.
Kahneman, D., &Henik, A. (1981). Perceptual organization and attention. In M. Kubovy & J. R. Pomerantz (Eds.),Perceptual organization (pp. 181–211). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Kolers, P. A., &Roediger, H. L. (1984). Procedures of mind.Journal of Verbal Learning & Verbal Behavior,23, 425–449.
Lewicki, P., Hill, T., &Bizot, E. (1988). Acquisition ofprocedural knowledge about a pattern of stimuli that cannot be articulated.Cognitive Psychology,20, 24–37.
Logan, G. D. (1988). Toward an instance theory of automatization,Psychological Review,95, 492–528.
Logan, G. D. (1990). Repetition priming and automaticity: Common underlying mechanisms?Cognitive Psychology,22, 1–35.
Newell, A.. &Rosenbloom, P. S. (1981). Mechanisms of skill acquisition and the law ofpractice. In J. R. Anderson (Ed.),Cognitive skills and their acquisition (pp. 1–55). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Nissen, M. J., &Bullemer, P. (1987). Attentional requirements of learning: Evidence from performance measures.Cognitive Psychology,19, 1–32.
Perruchet, P., &Amorim, M. (1992). Conscious knowledge and changes in performance in sequence learning: Evidence against dissociation.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,18, 785–800.
Reber, A. S. (1989). Implicit learning and tacit knowledge.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,118, 219–235.
Reber, A. S., Allen, R., &Regan, J. (1985). Syntactic learning and judgments: Still unconscious and still abstract.Journal of Experimental Psychology: General,114, 17–24.
Richardson-Klavehn, A., &Bjork, R. A. (1988). Measures of memoryAnnual Review of Psychology,39, 475–543.
Stadler, M. A. (1989). On learning complex procedural knowledge.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,15, 1061–1069.
Stadler, M. A. (1990). Chunking and implicit pattern learning in a serial reaction time task (Doctoral dissertation, Purdue University, 1989).Dissertation Abstracts International,50, 5357–5358.
Stadler, M. A. (1992a, May). Attention and implicit serial learning. Paper presented at the meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Society, Chicago.
Stadler, M. A. (1992b). Statistical structure and implicit serial learning.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,18, 318–327.
Stadler, M. A. (1993). Attention and implicit serial learning. Manuscript in preparation.
Willingham, D. B., Nissen, M. J., &Bullemer, P. (1989). On the development of procedural knowledge.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,15, 1047–1060.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Experiment 1 was presented in the author's PhD dissertation, which was submitted to the faculty of Purdue University. During that time, the author was supported by a David Ross Graduate Research Fellowship from Purdue.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stadler, M.A. Implicit serial learning: Questions inspired by Hebb (1961). Mem Cogn 21, 819–827 (1993). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03202749
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03202749