Individual differences in multiple-cue learning : when mathematically proficient students fail to learn nondeterministic environments

ICS 2008, XXIX International Congress of Psychology, 20-25 July 2008, Berlin, Germany, published in International Journal of Psychology, Volume 43, N°3/4International audienceIndividual differences in learning nondeterministic relationships were investigated in samples with high mathematical proficiency. Probability Learning tasks were included within selection tests for admission to the French Air Transport Pilot Training. In Study 1 (N=401), two cues had positive and negative relationships with a target criterion. Four classes, homogeneous in mathematical performance, differed in learning the nondeterministic relationships. _ Fast-learners swiftly learned the relationships. _ Medium- and Slow-learners were slower but eventually succeeded. _ Nonlearners (12%) failed to learn even the positive relationship. These patterns replicated in Study 2 (N=448), including a third-irrelevant-cue. The irrelevant cue made the task more complex and degraded more the learning of the negative than the positive cue. Response time analyses confirmed that differences in the learning profiles went along with differences in the decision-making processes