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The Effect of the Number of A Trials on Performance on the A‐Not‐B Task
Author(s) -
Marcovitch Stuart,
Zelazo Philip David,
Schmuckler Mark A.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
infancy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.361
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 1532-7078
pISSN - 1525-0008
DOI - 10.1207/s15327078in0304_06
Subject(s) - psychology , task (project management) , random error , cognitive psychology , reflection (computer programming) , developmental psychology , statistics , mathematics , computer science , management , economics , programming language
The A‐not‐B error (Piaget, 1954), which occurs when infants search perseveratively on reversal trials in a delayed‐response task, is one of the most widely studied phenomena in developmental psychology. Nonetheless, the effect of A‐trial experience on the probability and magnitude of this error remains unclear. In this study, 9‐month‐old infants were tested at location A until they searched correctly on 1, 6, or 11 A trials. Results revealed an effect of A trials on the proportion of infants who erred on the first B trial, and on the number of errors prior to a correct search at B (i.e., the error run). These effects were asymptotic, or U‐shaped, consistent with a dual‐process model according to which A‐trial experience increases habit strength but also provides opportunities for reflection on task structure.