Pedraza, Felipe, Farkas, Bence C., Vekony, Teodóra, Haesebaert, Frederic, Phelipon, Romane, Mihalecz, Imola, Janacsek, Karolina ORCID: 0000-0001-7829-8220 , Anders, Royce, Tillman, Barbara, Plancher, Gaën and Nemeth, Dezső (2024) Evidence for a competitive relationship between executive functions and statistical learning. npj Science of Learning, 9 (30). pp. 1-14. ISSN 2056-7936 (Online) (doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-024-00243-9)

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Abstract

The ability of the brain to extract patterns from the environment and predict future events, known as statistical learning, has been proposed to interact in a competitive manner with prefrontal lobe-related networks and their characteristic cognitive or executive functions. However, it remains unclear whether these cognitive functions also possess a competitive relationship with implicit statistical learning across individuals and at the level of latent executive function components. In order to address this currently unknown aspect, we investigated, in two independent experiments (NStudy1 = 186, NStudy2 = 157), the relationship between implicit statistical learning, measured by the Alternating Serial Reaction Time task, and executive functions, measured by multiple neuropsychological tests. In both studies, a modest, but consistent negative correlation between implicit statistical learning and most executive function measures was observed. Factor analysis further revealed that a factor representing verbal fluency and complex working memory seemed to drive these negative correlations. Thus, the antagonistic relationship between implicit statistical learning and executive functions might specifically be mediated by the updating component of executive functions or/and long-term memory access.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	statistical learning; executive functions; working memory; verbal fluency; competition; prefrontal cortex; basal ganglia; striatum
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HA Statistics
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Institute for Lifecourse Development Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Institute for Lifecourse Development > Centre for Thinking and Learning Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > School of Human Sciences (HUM)
Last Modified:	04 Jun 2024 10:26
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/47329

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