INFORMATION-PROCESSING IN CHILDREN AS A FUNCTION OF ADULT MODEL STIMULUS DISPLAY SCHOOL GRADE AND SEX

In order to study the influence of the information-processing strategy of an adult model on the subsequent strategy of children, 216 children solved modified 20-questions problems. A 3 * 2 * 3 * 2 * 2 repeated-measures factorial design was used with the following variables: (1) information-processing of model (hypothesis scanning, constraint seeking, or control), (2) stimulus display (pictorial or verbal), (3) school grade (3, 5, or 7), (4) sex, and (5) problems (2/S). Major results were: (1) fewer questions to solution with the constraint-seeking model than the hypothesis-testing model or control, which did not differ; (2) both a higher percentage of constrains and higher average number of items included per question with the constraint-seeking model than the control or hypothesis-testing model, and with the control than the hypothesis-testing model; (3) both a higher percentage of constraints and higher number of items/question for 7th than 5th and 3rd graders, and for 5th than 3rd graders; (4) significant Model * Grade interactions for both percentage of constraints and items/question; and (5) no effects for stimulus display, sex, or successive problems on any measure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1969 American Psychological Association.