Project Details
Projekt
The relation between learning and stimulus/response feature bindings
Subject Area
General, Cognitive and Mathematical Psychology
Term
since 2025
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 563829368
In recent years, a large and growing body of literature assumes that perception and action are supported by short-lived bindings between stimulus and response features. Yet, the complex relationship of binding and retrieval processes in human action control with learning and memory mechanisms, is still a focal point of contemporary cognitive research. While the concepts of binding and retrieval as proposed in the field of action control, e.g., by the Theory of Event Coding (TEC) and the Binding and Retrieval in Action Control framework (BRAC), closely resemble processes in learning and memory on a theoretical level, empirical findings largely contradict a close relation. Here we propose that this gap between theory and practice is due to pervasive methodological restrictions in action control paradigms. Building on a recently proposed theoretical framework, we propose that previous failures to detect meaningful relations of binding and learning can be explained by the joint contribution of four variables: (i) the number of repetitions, (ii) the time elapsing between repetitions (iii) decay, and (iv) interference. In the proposed project, we apply these concepts from learning and memory literature to action control research to bring light to the relation of basic processes in action control with learning and memory consolidation. The first phase of the project will focus on the concepts number of repetitions and the time elapsing between repetitions, and the second phase on the concepts decay and interference. This endeavor involves modifying action control tasks to incorporate these key variables and systematically analyzing their impact on binding and retrieval. Through this interdisciplinary approach, the project seeks to bridge the gap between theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence, offering insights into the intricate interplay of cognitive processes.
DFG Programme
Research Grants
