Chapter 5 . Rules of order : Process models of human learning

To fully understand sequential effects on learning in humans, we need a comprehensive theory of cognition. Such a theory should be complete enough to perform the task of interest and to learn like humans while doing so. These theories, called process models or cognitive models, can be broken down into aspects that do not change between tasks — the architecture — and aspects that do change — the knowledge. Where such models have been used to understand sequence effects on learning, they have proven to be very powerful. As an example, we present a model of behavior on a simple task that shows how an appropriate order can lead to significantly (16%) faster learning. However, despite their power, process models remain difficult to apply routinely. In response, we also discuss an alternative approach — abstract models — that may be more appropriate in some contexts.