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Tests of a Dynamic Systems Account of the A‐not‐B Error: The Influence of Prior Experience on the Spatial Memory Abilities of Two‐Year‐Olds
Author(s) -
Spencer John P.,
Smith Linda B.,
Thelen Esther
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/1467-8624.00351
Subject(s) - sandbox (software development) , psychology , task (project management) , cognitive psychology , spatial ability , object permanence , object (grammar) , egocentrism , child development , developmental psychology , cognitive development , cognition , computer science , artificial intelligence , neuroscience , software engineering , management , economics
Recently, Smith, Thelen, and colleagues proposed a dynamic systems account of the Piagetian “A‐not‐B” error in which infants' errors result from general processes that make goal‐directed actions to remembered locations. Based on this account, the A‐not‐B error should be a general phenomenon, observable in different tasks and at different points in development. Smith, Thelen, et al.'s proposal was tested using an A‐not‐B version of a sandbox task. During three training trials and three “A” trials, 2‐year‐olds watched as a toy was buried in a sandbox at Location A. Following a 10‐s delay, children searched for the object. Across five experiments, children's (total N = 92) performance on the A trials was accurate. After the A trials, children watched as a toy was hidden at Location B, 8 to 10 inches from Location A. In all experiments, children's searches after a 10‐s delay were significantly biased in the direction of Location A. Furthermore, this bias toward Location A decreased with repeated trials to Location B, as well as when children completed fewer trials to Location A. Together, these data suggest that A‐not‐B–type errors are pervasive across tasks and development.