TY - JOUR

T1 - Understanding the dimensional change card sort

T2 - Perspectives from task success and failure

AU - Towse, John N.

AU - Redbond, Jo

AU - Houston-Price, Carmel M.T.

AU - Cook, Susan

PY - 2000/7/31

Y1 - 2000/7/31

N2 - Four experiments consider some of the circumstances under which children follow two different rule pairs when sorting cards. Previous research has repeatedly found that 3-year-olds encounter substantial difficulties implementing the second of two conflicting rule sets, despite their knowledge of these rules. One interpretation of this phenomenon [Cognitive Complexity and Control (CCC) theory] is that 3-year-olds have problems establishing an appropriate hierarchical ordering for rules. The present data suggest an alternative account of children's card sorting behaviour, according to which the cognitive salience of test card features may be more important than inflexibility with respect to rule representation.

AB - Four experiments consider some of the circumstances under which children follow two different rule pairs when sorting cards. Previous research has repeatedly found that 3-year-olds encounter substantial difficulties implementing the second of two conflicting rule sets, despite their knowledge of these rules. One interpretation of this phenomenon [Cognitive Complexity and Control (CCC) theory] is that 3-year-olds have problems establishing an appropriate hierarchical ordering for rules. The present data suggest an alternative account of children's card sorting behaviour, according to which the cognitive salience of test card features may be more important than inflexibility with respect to rule representation.

KW - Cognitive Saliency

KW - Inhibition

KW - Rule embedding

KW - Task set

U2 - 10.1016/s0885-2014(00)00021-6

DO - 10.1016/s0885-2014(00)00021-6

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:0038394927

VL - 15

SP - 347

EP - 365

JO - Cognitive Development

JF - Cognitive Development

SN - 0885-2014

IS - 3

ER -