Schema induction and analogical transfer

Abstract

An analysis of the process of analogical thinking predicts that analogies will be noticed on the basis of semantic retrieval cues and that the induction of a general schema from concrete analogs will facilitate analogical transfer. These predictions were tested in experiments in which subjects first read one or more stories illustrating problems and their solutions and then attempted to solve a disparate but analogous transfer problem. The studies in Part I attempted to foster the abstraction of a problem schema from a single story analog by means of summarization instructions, a verbal statement of the underlying principle, or a diagrammatic representation of it. None of these devices achieved a notable degree of sucess. In contrast, the experiments in Part II demonstrated that if two prior analogs were given, subjects often derived a problem schema as an incidental product of describing the similarities of the analogs. The quality of the induced schema was highly predictive of subsequent transfer performance. Furthermore, the verbal statements and diagrams that had failed to facilitate transfer from one analog proved highly beneficial when paired with two. The function of examples in learning was discussed in light of the present study. Analogy pervades thought. When a John Donne proposes that "no man is an island," we feel an intuitive grasp of the interconnectedness of human relations. When a William Harvey compares a biological organ to a water pump, a productive scientific model of blood circulation is created; in addition, the meaning of "pump" may take on a new, more abstract form. When a student is told that the atom resembles a miniature solar system, a complex new concept may take root in the learner's mind. To make the novel seem familiar by relating it to prior knowledge, to make This paper is largely based on a PhD dissertation completed by Gick (Note 1) under the direction of Holyoak, together with additional collaborative experiments and analyses. The work benefitted from the guidance of the members of the dissertation committee: John Jonides, Manfred Kochen, David Krantz, and substitute member John Holland. Patricia Cheng provided incisive criticisms of an early draft; a subsequent draft benefitted from the reviews of Dedre Gentner, Earl Hunt, and an anonymous referee. Terra Albert, Holly Brewer, Tim Carroll, Teresa Frankovich, and Michael Smith ably assisted in testing subjects. Susan Petersen and Jean Schtokal assisted with both subject testing and scoring of data.

Reasoning Strategies in the Context of Engineering Design with Everyday Materials

“…Several researchers have chronicled the approaches that students use in different education-related problem solving contexts (Anderson, Greeno, Kline, & Neves, 1981;Carbonell, 1982;Gentner & Holyoak, 1997;Gick & Holyoak, 1980, 1983Polya, 1945). In particular, these scholars examined the ways that students leverage similarities between a prior problem, or solution, and the current problem, in order to formulate a solution.…”

“…In particular, these scholars examined the ways that students leverage similarities between a prior problem, or solution, and the current problem, in order to formulate a solution. Foundational work by Gick & Holyoak (1980, 1983 coined the term ''analogical problem solving,'' and influenced several later instantiations of analogical problem solving (e.g., case-based reasoning (Kolodner, 1992) and learning-by-analogy (Carbonell, 1982;Gentner & Holyoak, 1997)). The initial research on analogical problem solving was based on problem solving scenarios in which participants were provided with a story whose essence could be used to solve a target problem.…”

“…Similarly, students may be able to use a prior experience that they did not spontaneously generate, which is what frequently occurred in Gick and Holyoak (1980). Gick and Holyoak (1983) take the research one step further by disentangling the role that schema abstraction plays in predicting student success on the radiation problem. In particular, the authors note that analogical problem solving can involve mapping between two concepts, mapping between a concept and a schema, or the application of a schema that was abstracted from several examples.…”

Researching Entrepreneurial Failures

“…Furthermore, self-compassion (Neff, 2009;Shepherd & Cardon, 2009) likely helps entrepreneurs disengage ego-protective mechanisms that would otherwise restrict thinking and creativity that could obstruct the construction, revision, and further development of a plausible story. Additionally, analogical thinking facilitates creative thinking and the development of explanations by individuals in novel domains (Dahl & Moreau, 2002;Gick & Holyoak, 1983), including entre-preneurs thinking about potential opportunities (Grégoire, Barr, & Shepherd, 2010;Grégoire & Shepherd, 2012). Perhaps individuals skilled at analogical thinking are better able to connect the dots revealed through entrepreneurial failure to create a plausible story of the past to inform future actions.…”

How Task Features Impact Evidence From Assessments Embedded in Simulations and Games

“…Recognition of these categories assists in formulating relationships among the data and developing methods for obtaining solutions. Ability to solve these basic types of word problems becomes the foundation for development of abstract-thinking skills (Gick & Holyoak, 1983; Morales, Shute, & Pellegrino, 1985; Cooper & Sweller, 1987). …”