LearningDeterminants · Inter-individual variability in learning: an investigation of its determinants
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2015-05-01 → 2018-04-30
- EU contribution
- €261,958
- Participants
- 2
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF-GF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Inter-individual variability in learning: an investigation of its determinants
The primate brain displays a tremendous capacity to learn. Yet, not all individuals are equal when it comes to learning abilities. Where do inter-individual differences in learning stem from and what is their impact on the acquisition of essential skills in our societies – such as reading and writing? The present project aims are to: - investigate the impact of demographic, life-style and cognitive measures on different forms of learning in adults (Aim 1a) and specifically assess the impact of technology use (Aim 1b). - complement this knowledge with brain imaging (MRI), to reveal the brain correlates of individual learning abilities (Aim 2) - evaluate the impact of individual differences in learning (specifically, audio-visual learning) on the acquisition of reading in young children (Aim 3).
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
The ability to extract regularities from the environment (statistical learning) is an essential feature of the primate brain. While inter-individual differences exist in statistical learning capacity in humans, little is know as to their origins. The present project proposes to investigate the cognitive and neural determinants of these differences, and to ask what their impact might be on the acquisition of a foundational skill for education, i.e. reading. To this end, we will first assess performance in two statistical learning tasks and various cognitive tests in a large group of adults (N=500). Based on the literature and on preliminary results from the outgoing host lab, we predict a link between learning and attention. We will further test this hypothesis by examining statistical learning in a population with high attentional abilities, namely action video gamers. Second, in an fMRI experiment, we will use state-of-the-art analyses to evaluate the hypothesis of a distinct contribution of the hippocampus and of the fronto-striatal networks to learning across participants. Finally, we will estimate statistical learning ability in pre-readers and longitudinally assess its predictive value on reading skills, as subsequently measured in first grade. Both the project’s core questions and the methods chosen to address them are highly innovative and inter-disciplinary, spanning fields as disparate as cognitive sciences, neuroscience, development and education. The project is expected to have a crucial impact on the applicant’s career, by broadening her experimental skills and scientific horizons, and giving her a chance to run her own study, a first step towards the objective of obtaining an independent position in research. Finally, by strengthening collaborations between partners in and outside Europe, and by taking a grip on timely questions mainly addressed outside of ERA for now, this project is expected to contribute to European research excellence.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES · ParisCoordinatorFrance
- UNIVERSITE DE GENEVE · GeneveSwitzerland
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union