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Metacognitive ability predicts learning cue-stimulus associations in the absence of external feedback

Author

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  • Marine Hainguerlot

    (CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Jean-Christophe Vergnaud

    (CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Vincent de Gardelle

    (CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)

Abstract

Learning how certain cues in our environment predict specific states of nature is an essential ability for survival. However learning typically requires external feedback, which is not always available in everyday life. One potential substitute for external feedback could be to use the confidence we have in our decisions. Under this hypothesis, if no external feedback is available, then the agents' ability to learn about predictive cues should increase with the quality of their confidence judgments (i.e. metacognitive efficiency). We tested and confirmed this novel prediction in an experimental study using a perceptual decision task. We evaluated in separate sessions the metacognitive abilities of participants (N = 65) and their abilities to learn about predictive cues. As predicted, participants with greater metacognitive abilities learned more about the cues. Knowledge of the cues improved accuracy in the perceptual task. Our results provide strong evidence that confidence plays an active role in improving learning and performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Marine Hainguerlot & Jean-Christophe Vergnaud & Vincent de Gardelle, 2018. "Metacognitive ability predicts learning cue-stimulus associations in the absence of external feedback," PSE-Ecole d'économie de Paris (Postprint) hal-01761531, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:pseptp:hal-01761531
    DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-23936-9
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-01761531
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Florent Meyniel & Daniel Schlunegger & Stanislas Dehaene, 2015. "The Sense of Confidence during Probabilistic Learning: A Normative Account," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(6), pages 1-25, June.
    2. Annika Boldt & Vincent de Gardelle & Nick Yeung, 2017. "The impact of evidence reliability on sensitivity and bias in decision confidence," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-01659634, HAL.
    3. Vincent de Gardelle & François Le Corre & Pascal Mamassian, 2016. "Confidence as a Common Currency between Vision and Audition," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(1), pages 1-11, January.
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    1. Chih-Chung Ting & Nahuel Salem-Garcia & Stefano Palminteri & Jan B. Engelmann & Maël Lebreton, 2023. "Neural and computational underpinnings of biased confidence in human reinforcement learning," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-18, December.
    2. repec:hal:pseptp:hal-03329211 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. repec:hal:journl:hal-03329211 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. repec:hal:cesptp:hal-03329211 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Quentin Cavalan & Jean-Christophe Vergnaud & Vincent De Gardelle, 2023. "From local to global estimations of confidence in perceptual decisions," Documents de travail du Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne 23008, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1), Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne.

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