The ability to maintain a learned size discrimination in the face of alterations in size-irrelevant stimulus attributes was studied in 128 white middle-class children of normal intelligence ranging in age from 2 to 7 yr. Increase in chronological age resulted in increased competence in retaining a learned size discrimination in the face of alterations in aspects other than size. Marked instability of response was found at the 2- and 3-yr.-old level. A rapid change in the stability of learning was exhibited after 4 yr. Thereafter the children in successive age groups showed a continual improvement in the ability to sustain the learned response.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
ButterC. M.GekosiW. L.Alterations in pattern equivalence following inferotemporal and lateral striate lesions in rhesus monkeys. J. comp. physiol. Psychol., 1966, 61, 309–312.
2.
ForgusR. H.The effect of different kinds of form pre-exposure on form-discrimination learning. J. comp. physiol. Psychol., 1958, 51, 75–78.
3.
FowlerW.Cognitive learning in infancy and early childhood. Psychol. Bull., 1962, 59, 116–152.
4.
GhentL.BernsteinL.Influence of the orientation of geometric forms on their recognition by children. Percept. mot. Skills, 1961, 12, 95–101.
5.
GhentL.BernsteinL.GoldweberA. M.Preference for orientation of form under varying conditions. Percept. mot. Skills, 1960, 11, 46.
6.
KimbleD. P. (Ed.) Anatomy of memory. Vol. 1. Palo Alto: Science & Behavior Books, 1965.
7.
KlueverH.Behavior mechanisms in monkeys. Chicago: Chicago Univer. Press, 1933.
8.
LingB.Form discrimination as a learning cue in infants. Comp. Psychol. Monogr., 1941, 17, 1–66.
9.
MehlerJ.BeverT. G.Cognitive capacity of very young children. Science, 1967, 158, 141–142.
10.
MeyerW. J.OffenbachS. I.Effectiveness of reward and punishment as a function of task complexity. J. comp. physiol. Psychol., 1962, 55, 532–534.
11.
OslerS.KofskyE.Stimulus uncertainty as a variable in the development of conceptual ability. J. exp. child Psychol., 1965, 2, 264–279.
12.
PiagetJ.The psychology of intelligence. London: Rutledge & Kegan, 1950.
13.
SchneirlaT. C.MaierN. R. F.Principles of animal psychology. New York: Dover, 1964.
14.
VernonM. D.A further study of visual perception. Cambridge: Cambridge Univer. Press, 1954.
15.
WalkerG.WalkerB.Response to stimulus complexity in the rat. Psychol. Rec., 1964, 14, 489–497.
16.
WhiteS. H.Age differences in reaction to stimulus variation. In HarveyO. J. (Ed.), Flexibility, adaptability, and creativity: nature and developmental determinants. New York: Springer, 1965. Pp. 95–122.
17.
WohlwillJ.Developmental studies of perception. Psychol. Bull., 1960, 57, 249–288.
18.
WolfJ. L.The role of dimensional preferences in discrimination learning. Psychon. Sci., 1966, 5, 455–456.
