Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Self-directed learning is a major part of individual knowledge formation. People often autonomously organize their own learning into "blocks": they practice a certain task for some continuous stretch of time, then switch to another task for another period of time, and so on. Yet current models of intrinsic motivation highlighting epistemic factors such as novelty, competence, and learning progress make various predictions about the extent to which learners block, as opposed to interleaving, their practice. In this study, we demonstrate that people tend to block in a multi-task setting where existing models of intrinsic motivation based on epistemic factors make ambiguous predictions. We show that while epistemic factors can partially explain blocking, a simple repetition bias substantially improves our ability to predict choices.
Source: Cognition
Authors: Alexandr Ten, Michiko Sakaki, Kou Murayama
Institutions: University of Tübingen, Kochi University of Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,910
OpenAlex ID: W7223250603