EARLY NUMBERS DEVELOPMENT: A DOMAIN GENERAL APPROACH

近年来，数字概念的发展已被概念化为一个由先天机制和/或原则指导的领域特定过程。这种概念化意味着数字概念的发展与其他概念不同，可能具有发展优势。然而，新的研究表明，至少数字的一个方面的发展——数值等价类的形成——受到相似度和命名的影响，其方式与其他概念大致相同（Mix，出版中；正在审查中）。这里提出的三个项目试图进一步调查领域一般过程适用于和解释数字概念发展的程度。具体而言，本研究将(1)使用简单的三联匹配任务来测试学龄前儿童的等效性判断是否受到数字无关表面特征变化的影响；(2)采用纵向设计跟踪各种数字技能和概念的发展，以确定在数字、比较和分类的横断面研究中发现的发展趋势是否在个人发展中明显；(3)利用微遗传训练实验来检验在其他领域促进概念增长的经验是否对数字类别的形成有类似的影响。如果数字概念像其他概念一样发展，它将为数字概念形成的机制提供重要的见解，并为在特定领域框架中被忽视的研究提供新的途径。它还将增加对发展过程的概括性的了解，这些发展过程被假定用来解释其他领域的比较和分类。

In recent years, the development of number concepts has been conceptualized as a domain specific process that is guided by innate mechanisms and/or principles. This conceptualization implies that number concepts develop differently from other concepts and may be developmentally privileged. However, new research indicates that development of at least one aspect of number- the formation of numerical equivalence classes- is affected by similarity and naming in much the same way as other concepts (Mix, in press; under review). The three projects proposed here seek to investigate further the extent to which domain general processes apply to and explain the development of number concepts. Specifically, this research will (1) use a simple triad matching task to test whether preschoolers' equivalence judgments are affected by variations in numerically irrelevant surface features of the sets; (2) use a longitudinal design to track the development of various numerical skills and concepts in order to establish whether developmental trends suggested in cross-sectional research on number, comparison, and categorization are evident in individual development; and (3) use microgenetic training experiments to test whether experiences found to promote conceptual growth in other domains have similar effects on the formation of number categories. If number concepts develop like other concepts, it would provide important insight into the mechanisms that underlie number concept formation and suggest new avenues for research that have been overlooked in the domain specific framework. It would also increase what is known about the generalizability of the developmental processes that have been posited to explain comparison and categorization in other domains.