Impact of explicit knowledge on the transfer effect in implicit learning

Abstract

The article describes research into the impact of explicit knowledge on the transfer effect of artifcial grammar rules on solving sensorimotor tasks. We analyzed the effect of transfer of implicit knowledge in a procedure which was irrelevant to the learning phase. 80 volunteers took part in the experiment. Participants learned the rules of artifcial grammar in the training phase. The control phase was not standard for the method of “artifcial grammar learning”. The task of the control phase was to react to the appearance of two different stimuli. In the experimental groups, a grammatical sequence always appeared before the presentation of a green stimulus, and an ungrammatical sequence before the presentation of a yellow stimulus. In the control groups, the color of the stimulus was not dependent on the grammaticality of a sequence. In experimental group № 1 and control group № 1, participants were informed about the existence of a rule of artifcial grammar before the training phase; in experimental group № 2 and control group № 2 — afterwards. The results showed the effect of transfer: in experimental groups the time of sensorimotor reaction to stimuli associated with grammaticality of sequence was signifcantly less than in control groups. Explicit information about the existence of a rule of artifcial grammar after the training phase reduces the effectiveness of transfer of implicitly learned knowledge of artifcial grammar on sensorimotor activity.