Study preferences for exemplar variability in self-regulated category learning

ABSTRACT

Increasing exemplar variability during category learning can enhance classification of novel exemplars from studied categories. Four experiments examined whether participants preferred variability when making study choices with the goal of later classifying novel exemplars. In Experiments 1–3, participants were familiarised with exemplars of birds from multiple categories prior to making category-level assessments of learning and subsequent choices about whether to receive more variability or repetitions of exemplars during study. After study, participants classified novel exemplars from studied categories. The majority of participants showed a consistent preference for variability in their study, but choices were not related to category-level assessments of learning. Experiment 4 provided evidence that study preferences were based primarily on theoretical beliefs in that most participants indicated a preference for variability on questionnaires that did not include prior experience with exemplars. Potential directions for theoretical development and applications to education are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Category learning
• learning strategies
• metacognition
• self-regulated learning

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by a James S. McDonnell Foundation twenty-first century Science Initiative in Bridging Brain, Mind, and Behaviour Collaborative Award to Larry L. Jacoby and Henry L. Roediger, III. Thanks to Larry Jacoby, Henry Roediger, and Mark McDaniel for helpful comments. Thanks also to Ashley Bartels, Heather Bartels, Emily Gardner, Kim Grunde, Jennifer Kormann, Rachel Skladman, Rachel Teune, and Cecilia Votta for assistance with data collection.