Response uncertainty on rule learning by observation

Effects of pre-experience on observational learning

Abstract

The present study was conducted to examine the hypothesis that children's feelings of uncertainty would mediate between pre-experience and rule acquisition in observational learning. After received a pretest, subjects were requested to estimate their response uncertainty concerning a task used in the pretest. Then they observed a model responding to a series of pictures each of which depicting one of four directions. The model's responses were governed by a rule consisted of two dimensions: the progression and the direction. After observing the demonstration, subjects received two post-tests which differed in the order of stimulus presentation and in terms of the reinforcement. Subjects enhancing their feelings of uncertainty in the pretest phase acquired a rule which contained a dimension of the progression, while subjects who did not enhance them acquired a rule used by the model. These findings were interpreted as generally supporting the hypothesis of response uncertainty as a mediator of rule learning.