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Training 3‐year‐olds in rule‐based causal reasoning
Author(s) -
Brooks Patricia J.,
Hanauer Julie B.,
Frye Douglas
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
british journal of developmental psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.062
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 2044-835X
pISSN - 0261-510X
DOI - 10.1348/026151001166263
Subject(s) - psychology , gesture , generalization , nonverbal communication , cognitive psychology , developmental psychology , contrast (vision) , communication , artificial intelligence , computer science , mathematics , mathematical analysis
Preschoolers' understanding of causal rules was examined using a marble and ramp apparatus operating in two distinct configurations. Experiment 1, conducted with 32 3‐year‐olds and 16 4‐year‐olds, examined whether children could predict where a marble would emerge when given verbal rules indicating the marble's trajectory. Over two sessions, 4‐year‐olds made correct predictions, irrespective of the apparatus's configuration. Three‐year‐olds, in contrast, were unable to alternate between rule sets and performed poorly when the marble rolled diagonally across the apparatus. In two additional experiments, with the ramp uncovered to reveal mechanical shunts and feedback given on each trial, the verbal rules were presented with (Experiment 2) or without pointing gestures (Experiment 3). Generalization was tested using the original protocol of Experiment 1. Older 3‐year‐olds in both experiments benefited from training, and most continued to perform well when gestures, feedback, and visual access to the mechanism were eliminated. Of the younger 3‐year‐olds, only those exposed to rules with gestures showed any improvement, and the improvement did not generalize. The results indicate that providing redundant non‐verbal cues may facilitate preschoolers' use of complex rule systems, with poor generalization attributable to young children's dependence on cues to access the relevant rules.