Physiological activity in an attribute learning task.

‘i’he relationship between the amount of information processing in an Attribute: Learning task and autonomic activity, measured by skin conductance responrc (SCR) was investigated. The amount of information processing was manipulated by type of concept and feedback. Furthermore, the influence of practice and verbalization was studied. Three types of concepts were used: conjunction, exclusion and joint denial The stimuius population consisted of four three-valued dimensions. The results ishowed that (1) SCR did not differ among concepts: (2) SCR varied with type of feedback, it being smallest at blanks and largest at infirming feedback; (3) SCR was related to the number of confiimations preceding infumation; (4) subjects mainiy used the strategy ‘reject hypothesis only after infumation’; (5) subjects usually selected not-yet-tested hypotheses; (6) practice influenced performance; (7) verbalization did not resolt in more efficient use of information; however, the appropriateness of the experimental setup to stud,, this factor was questioned; (8) conjunction was easier to ie.srn than the other concepts. The results were discussed in terms of uncertainty reduction, restthing dart testing hypotheses in a concept learning task.