Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34228719›Full record

ArticlePLoS computational biology2021

Multitask learning over shared subspaces.

Nicholas Menghi, Kemal Kacar, Will Penny

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS computational biology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Cognitive Control.Annual review of psychology · 2025
    Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Nicholas MenghiSchool of Psychology, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, United Kingdom.
Kemal KacarSchool of Psychology, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, United Kingdom.
Will PennySchool of Psychology, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0001-9064-1191

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This paper uses constructs from machine learning to define pairs of learning tasks that either shared or did not share a common subspace. Human subjects then learnt these tasks using a feedback-based approach and we hypothesised that learning would be boosted for shared subspaces. Our findings broadly supported this hypothesis with either better performance on the second task if it shared the same subspace as the first, or positive correlations over task performance for shared subspaces. These empirical findings were compared to the behaviour of a Neural Network model trained using sequential Bayesian learning and human performance was found to be consistent with a minimal capacity variant of this model. Networks with an increased representational capacity, and networks without Bayesian learning, did not show these transfer effects. We propose that the concept of shared subspaces provides a useful framework for the experimental study of human multitask and transfer learning.

Indexed as

Machine LearningNeural Networks, ComputerAdolescentAdultAlgorithmsBayes TheoremComputational BiologyFemaleHumansMaleMultitasking BehaviorTask Performance and AnalysisYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID34228719
PMCPMC8284664

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.