Awareness and working memory in strategy adaptivity

To further the understanding of the mechanisms of strategy choice, in three experiments, we investigate the role of explicit awareness and working mem ory in strategy adaptivity. Experiment 1 provided correlational evidence th at individual differences in strategy adaptivity to changing base rates are related to individual differences in awareness of those changes but appear not to be related to individual differences in working memory capacity. Ex periment 2 replicated the role of awareness, and tile results suggest that awareness at the time of the base-rate change, rather than afterwards, is r elated to increased strategy adaptivity. Experiment 3 measured working memo ry capacity using a different procedure and manipulated working memory load with a dual-task procedure; again, no apparent role of working memory capa city in strategy adaptivity was found. This juxtaposition of findings prese nts a challenge for existing models of strategy choice.