THE DEVELOPMENT OF SERIAL COMPLETION STRATEGIES: AN INFORMATION PROCESSING ANALYSIS

An information processing model of a complex task involving several important Piagetian concepts is introduced and then extended to a more difficult class of problems often used to test adult cognitive abilities. In comparing this extended model both to human performance and to the process model by Simon & Kotovsky, the criterion of developmental tractability is introduced. A detailed study of a child's performance during a crucial transition from one stage of problem complexity to another indicates that a mixture of both models seems to provide the best explanation of problem-solving behaviour.