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Functional constraints on young children's object problem solving
- Date Issued:
- 2012
- Summary:
- Although some research has suggested that very young children are "immune" to functional fixedness (FF), other work has shown that young children form robust associations between objects and their prescribed functions. Across two studies, I investigated (a) the developmental trajectory of FF and (b) its relationship with executive function components (inhibitory control and working memory) in 3- to 6-year old children. Both older and younger children experience FF, but older children use familiar tools more flexibly than younger children (3- and 4-year olds). Furthermore, inhibitory control was related to overcoming FF, indicating that it may be an important cognitive capacity for creative problem-solving. Finally, in a third study, children were instructed to use mental imagery to help them solve the functional fixedness problems. However, these instructions were ineffective at reducing FF compared to a control condition, underscoring the robust nature of object-function relationships in early childhood.
Title: | Functional constraints on young children's object problem solving. |
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Name(s): |
Bidmead, Sarah Charles E. Schmidt College of Science Department of Psychology |
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Type of Resource: | text | |
Genre: | Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation | |
Date Issued: | 2012 | |
Publisher: | Florida Atlantic University | |
Physical Form: | electronic | |
Extent: | viii, 76 p. : ill. (some col.) | |
Language(s): | English | |
Summary: | Although some research has suggested that very young children are "immune" to functional fixedness (FF), other work has shown that young children form robust associations between objects and their prescribed functions. Across two studies, I investigated (a) the developmental trajectory of FF and (b) its relationship with executive function components (inhibitory control and working memory) in 3- to 6-year old children. Both older and younger children experience FF, but older children use familiar tools more flexibly than younger children (3- and 4-year olds). Furthermore, inhibitory control was related to overcoming FF, indicating that it may be an important cognitive capacity for creative problem-solving. Finally, in a third study, children were instructed to use mental imagery to help them solve the functional fixedness problems. However, these instructions were ineffective at reducing FF compared to a control condition, underscoring the robust nature of object-function relationships in early childhood. | |
Identifier: | 837323537 (oclc), 3359286 (digitool), FADT3359286 (IID), fau:4066 (fedora) | |
Note(s): |
by Sarah R. Bidmead. Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. Includes bibliography. Mode of access: World Wide Web. System requirements: Adobe Reader. |
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Subject(s): |
Learning, Psychology of Developmental psychology Cognition in children Visual perception in chldren |
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Persistent Link to This Record: | http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3359286 | |
Use and Reproduction: | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ | |
Host Institution: | FAU |