The effects of overtraining and delay on reversal and nonreversal shifts in kindergarten children

Concept-shift and discrimination-reversal learning in humans.

“…The Kendlers' hypothesis that children below the age of 5 accomplish shifts in a manner consistent with a single-unit model finds its sole support in Kendler et al's (1960) observation (replicated by Marsh, 1964) that 2ED n is learned more easily by nursery schoolers than 2ID r . As noted above, however, this same result has been obtained with college 5s (Isaacs & Duncan, 1962) and 6-year-olds (Viney, 1964), while a similar one (no difference between 2ID n and 2ED n ) has been reported for 10year-olds (Wilier, 1963). (Wilier's finding may be considered as similar because Trabasso, Deutsch, and Gelman, 1966, found no difference between 2ID n and 2ED n with nursery schoolers using pattern stimuli similar to those used in Willer's experiment.)…”

“…Five of the comparisons presented in Table 1 involved the ID-shift performance of brighter and duller Ss within the normal range of intelligence. Of these, two indicated the brighter Ss to be superior (Rajalakshmi & Jeeves, 1965;Viney, 1964) and three did not (Rapier, 1967;Wilier, 1963;Yelen, 1963). Likewise, of the 10 ED-shift comparisons in this intelligence range, three showed intelligence to be positively related to shift performance (Iwahara & Sugimura, 1962;Wilier, 1963) and seven did not (Fey, 1951, Iwahara & Sugimura, 1962Rapier, 1967;Viney, 1964;Wilier, 1963;Yelen, 1963).…”

“…Of these, two indicated the brighter Ss to be superior (Rajalakshmi & Jeeves, 1965;Viney, 1964) and three did not (Rapier, 1967;Wilier, 1963;Yelen, 1963). Likewise, of the 10 ED-shift comparisons in this intelligence range, three showed intelligence to be positively related to shift performance (Iwahara & Sugimura, 1962;Wilier, 1963) and seven did not (Fey, 1951, Iwahara & Sugimura, 1962Rapier, 1967;Viney, 1964;Wilier, 1963;Yelen, 1963). It would appear from these studies that variations in intelligence within the normal range do not greatly affect shift performance.…”

“…•> CAs, MAs, and IQs are expressed in years and as means or ranges depending on how they were originally reported. In Viney's (1964) study, 5s were blocked as indicated on the Metropolitan Readiness Test (MRT). In Yelen's (1963) study, college 5s were blocked on the American College Test (ACT).…”

The overlearning reversal effect in preschool children as a function of age

“…Similar failures to observe the ORE have been reported with Capuchin monkeys (D' Amato, 1965), stump-tailed monkeys (Boyer & Cross, 1965), rhesus monkeys (Cross & Boyer, 1966;Tighe, 1965), and with five-year-old children (Vaughter & Cross, 1965). Other negative findings with children have also been observed (Hochman, 1966;Stevenson & Weir, 1959;Viney, 1964).…”