Adaptive Learning through Temporal Dynamics of State Representation.

People adjust their learning rate rationally according to local environmental statistics and calibrate such adjustments based on the broader statistical context. To date, no theory has captured the observed range of adaptive learning behaviors or the complexity of its neural correlates. Here, we attempt to do so using a neural network model that learns to map an internal context representation onto a behavioral response via supervised learning. The network shifts its internal context on receiving supervised signals that are mismatched to its output, thereby changing the "state" to which feedback is associated. A key feature of the model is that such state transitions can either increase learning or decrease learning depending on the duration over which the new state is maintained. Sustained state transitions that occur after changepoints facilitate faster learning and mimic network reset phenomena observed in the brain during rapid learning. In contrast, state transitions after one-off outlier events are short lived, thereby limiting the impact of outlying observations on future behavior. State transitions in our model provide the first mechanistic interpretation for bidirectional learning signals, such as the P300, that relate to learning differentially according to the source of surprising events and may also shed light on discrepant observations regarding the relationship between transient pupil dilations and learning. Together, our results demonstrate that dynamic latent state representations can afford normative inference and provide a coherent framework for understanding neural signatures of adaptive learning across different statistical environments.