The trouble with transfer: insights from microgenetic changes in the representation of numerical magnitude.

Full Abstract

Spontaneous transfer of learning is often difficult to elicit. This finding may be widespread partly because pretests proactively interfere with transfer. To test this hypothesis, 7-year-olds' transfer was examined across 2 numerical tasks (number line estimation and categorization) in which similar representational changes have been observed. As predicted, children given feedback on numerical estimates learned to use a linear representation of numerical quantity instead of a logarithmic one, but providing practice on a categorization pretest led children to continue using a logarithmic representation on the same task, which they otherwise abandoned with surprising frequency. These findings imply unsupervised practice of inappropriate representations impedes transfer, and studies of learning can greatly underestimate children's potential for transfer if pretest effects are uncontrolled.

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Author information

Author/s: Opfer, John E (JE); Thompson, Clarissa A (CA);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, 245 Psychology Building, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus OH 43210, USA. opfer.7(-atsign-)osu.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Child development (Child Dev), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: -2008 May-Jun; vol 79 (issue 3) : pp 788-804

Dates: Created 2008/05/20; Completed 2008/07/17;

PMID: 18489428, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

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