ABSTRACT
This paper studies the interaction between implicit and explicit processes in skill learning, in terms of top-down learning (that is, learning that goes from explicit to implicit knowledge) vs. bottom-up learning (that is, learning that goes from implicit to explicit knowledge). Instead of studying each type of knowledge (implicit or explicit) in isolation, we highlight the interaction between the two types of processes, especially in terms of one type giving rise to another. The work presents an integrated model of skill learning that takes into account both implicit and explicit processes and both top-down and bottom-up learning. We examine and simulate human data in the Tower of Hanoi task. The paper shows how the quantitative data in this task may be captured using either top-down or bottom-up approaches, although top-down learning is a more apt explanation of the human data currently available. The results demonstrate the difference between the two different directions of learning (top-down vs. bottom-up), and also provide a new perspective on skill learning in the Tower of Hanoi task.
