Incidental learning of simple stimulus-response associations: A review of color-word contingency learning research

In this article, I review research on incidental learning of simple stimulus-response regularities. The article summarizes the research using the color-word contingency learning paradigm and related simple learning procedures. In the color-word contingency learning paradigm participants are presented with a colored neutral word on each trial and are asked to ignore the word and respond to the print color (e.g., similar to a Stroop procedure). Distracting words are typically color-unrelated neutral stimuli. However, each distracting word is presented most often in one target color (e.g., “move” most often in blue, “sent” most often in green, etc.). Learning of these contingencies is indicated by faster and more accurate responses to high contingency trials (in which the word is presented with its frequent color) relative to low contingency trials. This procedure has proven useful for investigations in incidental learning. The present manuscript summarizes the existing work using this (and related) learning procedures and highlights emerging directions.