Measuring Learning using an Untrained Control Group: Comment on R. Reber and Perruchet
Zoltan Paul Dienes, Gerry T. M. Altmann · The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Section A · 2003
R. Reber and Perruchet (this issue) argue that use of control groups without training is unsound for establishing that learning has occurred. We show that inferring learning from a difference between a trained group and an untrained control in no way relies on their implausible additivity assumption, and that untrained control groups can be an invaluable aid to the researcher.