Causal directionality belongs to one of the most fundamental aspects of causality that cannot be re- duced to mere covariation. This paper is part of a debate between proponents of associative theories,
which claim that learners are insensitive to the causal status of cues and outcomes, and proponents of
causal-model theory, which postulates an interaction of assumptions about causal directionality and
learning. Some researchers endorsing the associationist view have argued that evidence for the interaction
between cue competition and causal directionality may be restricted to two-phase blocking designs.
Furthermore, from the viewpoint of causal-model theory, blocking designs carry the potential
problem that the predicted asymmetries of cue competition are partly dependent on asymmetries of
retrospective inferences. The present experiments use a one-phase overshadowing paradigm that does
not allow for retrospective inferences and therefore represents a more unambiguous test of sensitivity
to causal directionality. The results strengthen causal-model theory by clearly demonstrating the influence
of causal directionality on learning. However, they also provide evidence for boundary conditions
for this effect by highlighting the role of the semantics of the learning task.