An information processing model of some seriation tasks.

Abstract

Children were video-tape recorded while trying to solve one of Piaget's weight seriation tasks. Detailed protocol analyses and computer simulations of the behavior of three children at different stages of intellectual development are presented. The programs, organized as systems of production rules, simulate the Ss' behavior in detail. They show how intellectual development is related to the Ss' (a) progressive sophistication in structuring their environment, (b) better use of memory, (c) span for drawing inferences, and (d) initial conception of what a seriation is, as reflected in such parameters as the adequacy of their stop rules and single vs. multiple block comparisons.Two additional experiments (N=35) compare length with weight seriation; access to information is controlled in one of the length seriation conditions. Results indicate that the typically observed &&calage in performance on the two tasks largely disappears when a systematic effort is made to render the information-processing requirements of the two tasks isomorphic.

The Development of Size Sequencing Skills: An Empirical and Computational Analysis

“…As the authors put it, “somewhat surprisingly, inventing the procedure does not imply understanding it” (Leiser & Gillierion, , p. 175). This was a finding echoed by Baylor et al () who modeled the behavior of three children on size and weight seriation tasks but did not find a role for reversibility in their computer simulations and concluded, “These are aspects of Piagetian theory that have not yet found adequate non‐trivial representations in (the) information processing models” (p. 195).…”

“…These were the production systems of Young () and the connectionist model of Mareschal and Shultz (). In the 1970s, and prior to Young's model, several production systems characterizations of seriation emerged adopting a similar methodology (Baylor, Gascon, Lemoyne, & Pothier, ; Baylor & Lemoyne, ). We choose here to analyze that of Young () due to his exclusive focus on size (as opposed to weight) seriation, his “concern for empirical confirmation” (p. 16), as compared with the production systems by Baylor and colleagues, and the availability of his models for hands‐on experimentation for interested readers (Scott & Nicolson, ).…”

Computational perspectives on cognitive development

“…In line with both the Piagetian tradition and the Cognitive Science revolution, many modelers have looked at explaining the origins of reasoning and problem solving strategies. Initially, these approaches relied on rule-based models, 26,27 examining performance on the Piagetian tasks such as seriation, 112,113,27 number conservation, 114 or specific means-end tasks such as the Tower of Hanoi task. 115 These models were very task specific.…”

Learning, Development, and Production Systems

“…The basic approach involved modeling behavior at different stages in terms of production system programs that differed by only one or a few rules. Baylor, Gascon, Lemoyne & Pother (1973) extended this approach to Piagetian length and weight seriation tasks, and Young (1976) carried out an even more detailed analysis of length seriation in his thesis research. Klahr & Siegler (1978) developed similar production system stage models for Piaget's balance scale task, combining this with detailed empirical studies of children's behavior on the task.…”