MICROGENETIC STUDIES OF INFANT'S PROBLEM SOLVING

描述（改编自申请人的描述）：早期研究 认知功能表明婴儿能够发明 解决新问题的策略，并将策略推广到 不熟悉的问题。 然而，几乎没有人知道他们是如何 完成这些壮举。 为了解决这些问题，研究人员计划 对婴儿解决问题的能力进行逐个试验的评估， 2岁的孩子将被提出的问题，需要选择一个 把玩具放在伸手可及的地方的合适工具。 在每个实验中， 婴儿会遇到一系列的同构问题，在他们的 功能，但共享目标结构和解决方案策略。 微观发生 方法，包括从问题解决活动的密集观察 一个策略的最初使用到它的持续使用，将被用来 确定何时首次使用新策略。 这个身份， 反过来，将允许确定导致 发现和他们的推广战略超越了这一最初的 上下文 获得逐个试验的数据将有助于准确评估 婴儿的策略和发展差异的速度和广度 他们的学习。 它还将允许检查影响因素， 幼儿对策略的发现和概括。

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from applicant's description): Studies of early cognitive functioning indicate that infants are capable of inventing strategies for solving novel problems and of generalizing the strategies to unfamiliar problems. However, virtually nothing is known about how they accomplish these feats. To address these issues, the investigators plan to obtain trial-by-trial assessments of infants' problem solving, and 2-year-olds will be presented problems requiring the choice of an appropriate tool for bringing a toy within reach. In each experiment, the infants will encounter a series of isomorphic problems, varying in their features but sharing goal structures and solution strategies. Microgenetic methods, involving intensive observation of problem-solving activities from the initial use of a strategy to its consistent use, will be used to identify when the first use of a new strategy occurs. This identification, in turn, will allow determination of the circumstances that led up to the discovery and of their generalization of the strategy beyond this initial context. Obtaining trial-by-trial data will allow accurate assessments of infants' strategies and of developmental differences in the rate and breadth of their learning. It will also allow examination of factors influencing infants' discovery and generalization of strategies.