The problem-solving strategies of kindergarten and first-grade children during discrimination learning

Abstract Kindergarten and first-grade children (6 and 7 years of age, respectively) were given specially designed discrimination tasks with introtact probes preceding each trial. One group (CON) was given the criterion task without prior training. A second group (LTL) received three pretraining tasks of the same type as the criterion task. A third group (HYP) received the same pretraining tasks, but with explicit instructions designed to teach a simple hypothesis-testing strategy. Several indices, designed to reflect the use of win-stay and lose-shift rules, as well as memory for disconfirmed hypotheses, were computed from the protocols of the criterion task. The indices for Group CON suggested that most of these children were using a guessing strategy that involved quite frequent changes in hypotheses. Moreover, many of these children restricted their hypotheses to the irrelevant cues. The indices for Group LTL revealed a spontaneous use of the hypothesis-testing strategy by nearly half of the children. The results for Group HYP indicated that over four-fifths of these children became highly efficient in the use of the problem-solving strategy.