Pre-Learning Interventions Modulate Learning from Error

Abstract

Learning from error is an adaptive process that allows us to correct mistakes, update knowledge, and make better choices. Yet, humans do not always learn from error— motivation, emotion, prior beliefs, and individual differences can all influence learning and memory. In this dissertation, I synthesize diverse evidence from across domains to argue that lingering cognitive and neural states create a context of learning that governs how and what we learn. Here, I report three novel pre-learning interventions that effectively modulate learning from error in humans. First, I show that an imagination exercise enhances subsequent learning from feedback about health risks. Second, I demonstrate that changing beliefs about the value of errors enhances subsequent knowledge updating, especially for individuals with high anxiety. Third, I report that induced motivational states impact both reinforcement learning and subsequent memory. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that pre-learning interventions can have lingering benefits, enhancing subsequent learning from error. These findings offer inspiration for real-world interventions that could improve education, enhance belief updating, drive behavior change, motivate action, or foster curiosity.