The Other Kind of Perceptual Learning

In the present review we discuss an extension of classical perceptual learning called the observational learning paradigm. We propose that studying the process how humans develop internal representation of their environment requires modifications of the original perceptual learning paradigm which lead to observational learning. We relate observational learning to other types of learning, mention some recent developments that enabled its emergence, and summarize the main empirical and modeling findings that observational learning studies obtained. We conclude by suggesting that observational learning studies have the potential of providing a unified framework to merge human statistical learning, chunk learning and rule learning.