Free and Matrix Classification: An Experimental Investigation of the Responses of Nine‐ and Twelve‐year‐old Children

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between free and matrix classification performance as a function of stimulus dimensionality (2-D vs 3-D) and repealed trials. The subjects were 30 boys and 30 girls, mean age 12 years, and 30 boys and 30 girls, mean age 9 years. The results indicated that subjects succeeded on the matrix tasks more frequently than they were able to give multidimensional free classification responses. Subjects succeeded more frequently with 3-D than with 2-D stimuli. Retrials on both free and matrix classification tasks did not significantly improve performance. Possible reasons for the findings and their future implications were discussed.