Developmental study of performance on conceptual problems involving a rule shift.

Abstract

In a conceptual rule learning task, 112 6-, 7-, and 9-yr-old Ss and 48 undergraduates attained a preshift solution, and then were shifted to either a complemental (C) or noncomplemental (NC) rule. A C shift is analogous to a reversal (R) shift, requiring S to reverse all class assignments, while the NC shift is analogous to a nonreversal (NR) shift, requiring S to change only some of the stimulus category assignments. All Ss except the 6-yr-olds reached a higher level of performance on the C shift relative to the NC shift. The 6-yr-olds found the C shift more difficult than the NC shift. Results show the comparability of developmental trends obtained in the 2 shift paradigms (C-NC and R-NR). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)