Abstract
Transfer between functionally isomorphic devices can be viewed as a kind of analogical mapping. In this research subjects learned to operate a computer-simulated device and then transferred to a functionally-equivalent device, either immediately or after a delay of one week. Two factors were varied: the systematicity, or causal coherence, of the original device model; and the transparency, or degree of surface similarity between corresponding components in the two devices. The results showed effects of delay, systematicity and transparency. Transfer performance was better in the immediate than in the delayed condition. Both systematicity and transparency improved performance in both immediate and delayed conditions.
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