Fluctuation Of The Gradual Consciousness In Implicit Sequence Learning And Its Realationship With RSI /Emotional Openness

Cleeremans, the author of asymptotic consciousness theory in implicit sequence learning, controled RSI(response-stimulus interval) and found that the implicit sequence learning awareness degree had gradual improvement with increase of RSI leading to an characterization quality improvement(Destrebecqz & Cleeremans, 2001; Cleeremans & Jim Nez, 2002). Rünger(2012), who proposed novelty consciousness theory,thought that it was essentially caused by the difference of RSI in consciousness measurement stage. So he used Destrebecqz and Cleeremans’(2001) experimental procedures, with 2(training RSI) * 2(consciousness measurement recognition task RSI) between subjects design, and found no main effect of training RSI so that there was not increasing awareness with increasing of training RSI.In order to verify the two theories, in preasent study I used Rünger’s(2012) training program, but with the consciousness measurement using the classical PDP logical inclusion and exclusion tasks(Jacoby, 1991) to separate implicit component and controlled consciousness. The experiment was 1(emotional openness) * 2(RSI) * 2(consciousness measurement RSI) mixed design. There were two training groups with RSI 250 and 750 ms, and training stage was divided into three periods with EEG record. I used the performance of a sequence fragment in inclusion and exclusion task in 750(training RSI)-750(measurement RSI) as a index to divide all sequence fragment into four different types: 0-no acquisition of implicit knowledge, 1-pure implicit knowledge, 2-collaborative implicit knowledge, 3-controlled consciousness. Each trial contained subjective consciousness report, and subjective consciousness was also divided into four types: 0-guess, 1-intuition, 2- smooth, 3- rules/ memory.The experimental results showed that:(1) I created 5 consciousness fluctuation indexs for the first time and found that there is much consciousness fluctuation in the implicit sequence learning, and training RSI has main effect by using 5 consciousness fluctuation indexs. ERP analysis of implicit sequence learning showd awareness has a gradual change with the increasing training. Implicit knowledge and awareness are competing with each other, even has transformation between them. The evidence is that amplitude of N2 decreases and the amplitude of P3 increases as training marching. In this study, ERP analysis revealed for the first time that: in RSI 250 subjects used a small range of information, lead to larger amplitude of N1 and smaller amplitude of P2; but in RSI 750 used a larger range of message, lead to smaller amplitude of N1 and larger amplitude of the P2. This shows that the implicit learning strategies are different in different RSI, so the implicit learning is different too. Therefore it was wrong for asymptotic consciousness theory using RSI to prove that consciousness is gradual growing with representation quality improving by RSI..(2) Emotional openness is not related to implicit sequence learning and awareness. But in RSI 750 there is a large number of related relationship among emotional openness and objective/subjective conciousness fluctuation indexs and ERP components, which proves that emotional openness can forecast consciousness volatility rather than degree of awareness.(3) Objective/subjective consciousness behavior data and ERP results show that the two systems is independent of each other, but only under certain RSI condition(training 750) they will be synchronized. Both systems have consciousness fluctuations, and consciousness fluctuations have related ERP characteristics. The objective/subjective consciousness between inclusion and exclusion task are different systems, but only in the training of 750 the two measurements appear synchronization. Therfore it is wrong for the classic PDP logic to assume that inclusion and exclusion task measure different componts of a same consciousness system.(4) There is significant ERP difference among four types of objective consciousness. Pure implicit and coordination implicit knowledge are found for the first time in this study. Pure implicit knowledge has only N2 without P3, so the implicit knowledge can not be consciously picked up with explicit task requirements, and can only be extracted unconsciously; collaboration implicit knowledge has both N2 and P3, so it can be controlled by consciousness. The 4 kinds of objective consciousness gradually change with increasing training.(5) Horizontals in 4 types subjective consciousness are no difference, but the gradual changes of them with increase of training are significant difference: guess is similar to no acquisition, smooth is similar to collaborative implicit knowledge, rule/memory is similar to controlled consciousness. But intuition is very special, and is not similar to any objective/subjective consciousness: there has been no N2. However there was P3 in some specific electrodes in early stage, and it disappeared in the middle stage, but reemerged in late stage in FCz, which shows intuition is a kind of special consciousness, not a implicit knowledge. This is the first time to examine the special consciousness mechanism of intuitive.