The Relationship Between Central Executive Function And Implicit Learning Of College Students

More and more studies in recent years have shown the correlations between implicit learning, intelligence and general cognitive abilities, which reflects the individual differences in implicit learning ability. And the relation between working memory(WM),as the core of general cognitive abilities, and implicit learning has become an important way to explore the individual differences in implicit learning. Most earlier studies suggested no correlation between working memory and implicit learning. However, recent studies demonstrated that working memory span and central executive function are both related to implicit learning. Low differential validity of working memory span tasks in some earlier studies might lead to false no-correlation results between working memory and implicit learning owing to the ceiling effect. But later accurate testing of visuo-spatial working memory(VSWM) revealed that working memory span relates to implicit learning significantly. Furthermore, researches on the relationship between central executive function, as the core of working memory, and implicit learning showed that people injured in central executive function have a declining implicit learning ability while other researches revealed there are also healthy people with high executive function but weak implicit learning. To further make clear the relationship between working memory and implicit learning, future researches can consider the relations between implicit learning with different levels of difficulty and working memory, variables moderating implicit learning and working memory, and the brain mechanism involved in implicit learning and central executive function. These fields are promising and worth exploring.The present study explores the correlation between implicit sequence learning and central executive function by a series of experiments with different stimuli conditions and different restraint loads. Moreover, together with the technique of event-related potentials(ERPs) it analyzes the brain mechanism involved in implicit sequence learning and central executive function. Study 1, as a preliminary investigation into the correlation between implicit sequence learning and central executive function, adopts the currently popular andclassic paradigm to research implicit learning--- to test it via implicit learning of serial positions. The central executive function is measured through its three related,independent and separable ingredients of restraint, refreshing and transfer tested respectively by the paradigms of number Stroop, One-back and number transfer task.Experiment 1 tests the subjects’ implicit sequence learning and central executive function respectively by behavior experiments. Experiment 2 tests implicit sequence learning and central executive function with the ERPs technique.Study 2 sets the implicit sequence learning environment in the inhibition load conditions by using the way of putting the color word Stoop in the sequences and compares the relevant difference between the implicit sequence learning and the central executive function in the high/low/none inhibition load conditions. Experiment 3 uses the high load condition word Stroop environment while experiment 4 investigates the low load condition that color semantic words are replaced by the neutral words. Experiment 5 in the none load condition is the implicit sequence learning of color blocks.Specifically, this research can be concluded as follows:1. There is the negative correlation of the decline of reaction time in the regular implicit sequence learning with restraint and refreshing of central executive function but no correlations between the decline of reaction time in the irregular implicit sequence learning and the three ingredients, which suggests the negative correlation of the restraint and refreshing of central executive function with the implicit acquiring amount.2.Study finds that wave N200 of the inhibition function and the new wave P300 of the refreshing function have a significant negative correlation with the difference in waves N200 and P300 of implicit sequence learning, which proves the connection in the brain mechanism between implicit sequence learning and central executive function.3.There is the positive correlative relationship between implicit sequence learning and the central executive function in high load inhibition. On the opposite side, in the low load conditions, there is no obvious correlative relationship between them.To a certain extent,it has proved the existing research about the principle of the correlative between them comes from the hypothesis of ’Brain Regions Complete Theory’.4.The inhibition function affects the awareness extent of the sequence learning.The better inhibition function subjects can easier explicitly get the rules in the sequence learning process.In conclusion, the present study investigates the correlations between the implicit acquiring amount and consciousness degree of implicit sequence learning and central executive function from multiple perspectives and levels, explores their relationship by a thorough examination of behavior indications and a tentative inquiry of the brain mechanism, and clarifies to a certain extent the relationship between central executive function, as the general cognitive ability, and implicit learning, which deepens the understanding in the nature of implicit learning.