npj Science of Learning最新文献

Embodiment resrearch spans psychology, neuroscience, education, artificial intelligence, and public health, yet overlapping labels and shifting meanings slow cumulative progress. We propose clear definitions, concise labels, and consistent terminology to strengthen theory-building, evidence synthesis, and translation to practice. We call for a white-paper-style consensus process involving cross-disciplinary working groups to develop a shared living glossary of core embodiment terminology that makes overlap and divergence explicit without enforcing theoretical uniformity.

Automatization of motor sequences involves a shift from effortful, attention-dependent control to fluent performance through practice. This study examined how learning cues and instructions influence the development of sequence-specific automatization using a modified serial reaction time task with temporally spaced stimuli. Participants practiced a training sequence across ten sessions under four conditions varying in instruction (intentional vs. incidental) and visual cues (present vs. absent). Performance was assessed before and after training under single- and dual-task conditions for trained and control sequences. Results demonstrated robust sequence learning, with faster reaction times for trained than control sequences. Intentional instruction enhanced learning, particularly with visual cues. Contrary to expectations, dual-task costs decreased for the control sequence but increased for the trained sequence. Sequence-specific dual-task costs were associated with superior learning and explicit knowledge, suggesting that deeper sequence encoding may prolong attentional demands despite extensive practice.

Active retrieval leads to better learning outcomes than passive study. This perspective, in which we analyze 23,850 publications, reveals an increasing focus on the educational applications of this testing effect but limited attention to subpopulations with learning disabilities. Using dyslexia as a case study, we identify theoretical grounds to question whether testing effects generalize universally, highlighting the need for empirical research. Future research should examine benefits of testing in neurodiverse learners to develop tailored interventions.

Inferring group norms is crucial for adapting behaviors in novel situations, but its underlying basis and computational account remain unclear. This study manipulated the prevalence of norm-consistent behaviors (i.e., straight-line movements) to examine whether and how norm inference is influenced by observed group behavior, exploring its consistency with Bayesian updating, robustness, and independence. The results revealed no significant difference in prior probabilities regarding the existence of group norms across conditions, but posterior probabilities increased with the prevalence of norm-consistent behaviors. Furthermore, the Bayesian inference model outputs positively predicted participants' judgments, indicating that norm inference aligned with Bayesian updating. Even in the presence of deviant behaviors, norm inference remained consistent with Bayesian principles, demonstrating its robustness. Finally, the study revealed that individuals could infer group norms from observed behaviors, independent of desire inferences. These findings enhance our understanding of how individuals navigate group norms in novel situations.

This study investigated whether wakeful targeted memory reactivation (TMR) during short rest intervals improves motor learning. Participants were randomly assigned to three groups and performed a sequential key-press task under each condition: (1) TMR_regular group: auditory cues played at the same speed as the previous task, (2) TMR_fast group: auditory cues played 1.3 times faster, and (3) TMR_random group: auditory cues randomized in pitch. To examine the motor learning effect of cue structure, we compared motor learning across three groups (TMR_regular, TMR_fast, and TMR_random). The TMR_fast group enhanced early learning gains compared with the TMR_regular group. Electroencephalogram data revealed stronger functional connectivity centered on the lateral orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC) in the TMR_fast group than in the TMR_regular group. Together, these findings suggest that wakeful TMR can enhance early motor learning depending on cue timing and structure, highlighting the importance of optimizing sensory parameters for learning improvement.

Humans learn not only from their own experiences but also by observing others. Prior research has shown that reward prediction errors (RPEs) - the difference between expected and received outcomes - guide both experiential and observational reinforcement learning. While RPEs from direct experience have been linked to memory formation, it remains unclear whether vicarious RPEs play a similar role in observational learning. Using an incidental memory paradigm, we investigated how experiential and observational learning in a decision-making task shape memory and examined the role of RPEs in this process. Although recognition accuracy did not differ between learning conditions, participants reported higher confidence in memories from experiential trials. Notably, across both learning conditions, gambling and positive RPEs during memory item presentation were associated with enhanced memory. These findings advance our understanding of how observing others' choices and outcomes affects episodic memory by emphasizing shared encoding mechanisms with experiential learning.

Who is more creative: high- or low-socioeconomic status (SES) individuals? This question is the focus of intense debates within both the scientific community and society at large, since creativity has been linked to innovation, productivity, and wealth generation. This question is, however, hard to answer; in particular, because creativity is typically assessed through standardized tests that build on reading and writing proficiency, which might conflate the relationship between SES and creativity. To overcome this challenge, we combine high-quality data on reading ability and experimental variation in reading requirements embedded in creativity assessments in a series of studies with 6-12th graders in Brazilian schools. We first document that established creativity measures exhibit sizable SES gaps, but that these gaps become much smaller and no longer significant once we parse out students' reading ability (Study 1). Next, in two randomized control trials, we have students complete divergent thinking tasks while experimentally varying reading requirements: in the control group, students had to read question prompts, just like in standard assessments (e.g., PISA); in the treatment group, enumerators read the prompts on their behalf. In both conditions, enumerators wrote down students' answers. We find that high-SES students outperform low-SES ones only when they read the prompt, but not when performance does not depend on reading ability (Studies 2 and 3).

We test whether growth mindsets are less relevant in non-WEIRD cultures using nationally representative data from PISA 2018 (48 countries, N = 409,287). Students from non-WEIRD countries reported lower growth mindsets (r = -0.47). Multilevel models revealed that the mindset-achievement associations were weaker in non-WEIRD cultures for reading and science, and marginal for math. Our findings suggest that culture-specific factors should be considered when applying the growth mindset framework.

This video-based study explores the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of an online movement-based intervention in young children. The intervention integrated sensorimotor experiences with digital instruction to facilitate knowledge acquisition. Seventy-five children (M_age = 5.61; SD = 1.03) were randomly assigned to either an embodied cognition group, where they watched videos and performed simple full-body movements mimicking animals from different continents, or a control group, where they watched the same videos while remaining seated. Pre- and post-test assessments measured geographical knowledge retention. Children rated their enjoyment of the instructional preference. Results from MANCOVA indicated no significant group differences in knowledge recall. An ANOVA showed that both groups reported high levels of enjoyment related to instructional engagement. The study contributes to the growing body of research on movement-based digital learning, emphasizing the importance of balancing cognitive and motor demands in online educational environments.

Students in STEM fields frequently learn new abstract concepts as they build knowledge for scientific innovation. Yet little work has investigated how patterns of neural activity reflect the emergence of this newly learned conceptual information. In a single lesson and lab activity, participants learned about physics concepts, then subsequently completed an fMRI session. We identified neural patterns tracking students' newly acquired STEM concept knowledge, using a machine-learning classifier to assess the embedding of concept-relevant categories in students' neural representations of the task stimuli. Patterns in several parietal and temporal regions reflected conceptual knowledge acquired during the lesson. Crucially, a regression analysis further demonstrated that greater concept-relevant organization of the stimuli in these brain regions was associated with better performance on behavioral concept knowledge assessments. Results suggest that after only brief exposure to new STEM topics, early evidence of comprehension can be identified in the individualized neural patterns of novice learners.