Implicit Learning

I’m doing research for my final project, which will be exploring stereotypes. I’m trying to get a handle on implicit learning so I’ve been reading several books on that. Particularly, stereotypes seem to be automatic to a fairly high degree, so I want to understand implicit learning well enough to be able to conceptualize a model implementation. I’m reading a book conveniently titled Implicit Learning by Axel Cleeremans. Some interesting things I’ve learned about implicit learning:

Subjects who are given a task such as artificial grammar leaning very often do quite well with learning the rules and pattern recognition when given this task and simply learning implicitly. They also cannot verbalize many of the methods by which they have been able to come up with these rules. Interestingly, when told to “look for rules” subjects’ performance decreases. They do much better on a sequential learning task like that when only learning implicitly. I’ve noticed this sort of thing when doing calculus. As one gets to the point of integrating more complex functions, it becomes much less of an “apply the rules you’ve learned” game to a subtle art. When given complex functions, one often has to just try several different methods until the way that works well becomes clear. I’ve noticed that as I practiced calculus more, I was able to get the complex functions done in less steps. Of course, I can’t verbalize why it’s easier or what about a function makes me decide that integration by parts is the way to go, but nonetheless I can do it.

Relating this to stereotypes, I wonder how much of stereotype formation is implicit. Going back to my convenience store stereotype described in previous posts, I can’t tell you (for the most part) what about a customer makes me decide that they will ask for a bag once they get to the register. But nonetheless, I immediately make these sorts of assumptions. Some stereotypes (ethnic, gender, etc.) are quite salient and it’s easy to see how one applies a stereotype to them. However, not all are immediately evident. Further, not all of the traits that are applied to a stereotype are evident as to why we apply them. Again, though, some are. Statistically inaccurate stereotypes seems to be a case where implicit learning has failed. I don’t believe we consciously decide “I am going to form a stereotype about Asians. I will describe them with these characteristics: ...” We might have learned them from our culture, our parents, our environment, society, etc. But it’s unlikely that we purposefully formed our conceptions of people.

Anyway, I’m getting very excited about getting into the network creation for my final project. I will readily admit to being baffled by some of the math that some of the network books I’m reading have, but I think I’m finally starting to get some clarity and inspiration on how I can implement a stereotype framework into a neural network.