ON THE ROLE OF EXPLICIT AND IMPLICIT KNOW LEDGE IN CONTROLLING DYNAMIC-SYSTEMS

In two experiments the impact of knowledge about system relations (str uctural knowledge) on performance in system control was examined. Know ledge was diagnosed using a ''pair'' task (explicit memory test) and b y analyzing associative priming effects in a lexical decision task (im plicit memory test). In order to support knowledge acquisition, subjec ts in the experimental groups were instructed to analyze system relati ons in both experiments. There was no effect of instruction on explici t knowledge. When implicit knowledge was tested, the expected effects were shown: Only in the experimental groups did priming effects show e vidence of knowledge acquisition. However, that implicit knowledge did not lead to better performance in system control. Additionally, inter individual differences in structural knowledge correlated with perform ance only with respect to the implicit knowledge test. These correlati ons indicate that structural knowledge correlates with performance onl y if it is acquired before the control task (exp. 2). According to the results reported it is not sufficient to analyze knowledge at the end of the control task in order to evaluate the importance of structural knowledge for system control. Rather, it seems to be necessary to ass ess knowledge in the course of system control at several time points. Non-reactive methods for knowledge diagnosis are required. Such a meth od has been developed by analyzing associative priming effects.