Sizable Sharks Swim Swiftly: Learning Correlations through Inference in a Classroom Setting

摘要: Sizable Sharks Swim Swiftly: Learning Correlations through Inference in a Classroom Setting Yasuaki Sakamoto (yasu@psy.utexas.edu) Bradley C. Love (love@psy.utexas.edu) Department of Psychology, The University Texas at Austin Austin, TX 78712 USA Abstract Fifth-graders’ results from category learning experiment suggest that inferring stimulus properties given the membership leads to better acquisition knowl- edge than classifying items. Fifth-graders liked and learned more shark categories acquired inference those classification. Classification promoted only property was most diagnostic discriminating among categories. facilitated all associated with each cate- gory, including not queried during training. Seven 33 days after training, fifth-graders who inferred still had information about fifth- graders classified. teaching should emphasize reasoning multiple rather set category. Category researchers seek understand how humans encode, organize, use knowledge. Given these objectives, research have impor- tant implications for education. However, link between two fields is as solid one might expect part be- cause has focused mostly on clas- sification (e.g., Shepard, Hovland, & Jenkins, 1961) despite fact learn variety in- teractions their environment. As shown Figure 1, classification learning, participants predict mem- bership item then receive corrective feedback. focus advanced development theories people classify items laboratory. Unfortunately, many do generalize real world, such classroom. More recent work began address limitation focusing single task by comparing transfer performances different tasks, (see Markman Ross, 2003 review). closely related learning. 2, unknown an remaining item’s gory membership. Different are differ- ent trials. learners same feedback consisting label perceptual properties. In present work, findings re- search adults extended fifth-grade children class lated materials. Many classroom exercises can take forms For instance, chil- dren may animals science 1: A trial shown. de- scription left differs description right (in this case, Tiger vs. Sixgill shark). series presented them. next session, infer whose memberships they already know. Consideration us advance result knowledge To foreshadow our results, ac- quired classi- fication. Whereas when classification, category, inference. Related Work basic finding difference 1 Fig- ure 2) sources infor- mation Chin-Parker 2004; Yamauchi Mark- man, 1998). discriminates categories, category’s prototype. example, Ross (2004) asked