Children's capacity to remember a novel problem and to secure its future solution

被引:150
作者
Suddendorf, Thomas [1 ]
Nielsen, Mark [1 ]
von Gehlen, Rebecca [2 ]
机构
[1] Univ Queensland, Sch Psychol, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia
[2] Univ Maastricht, Fac Psychol & Neurosci, Maastricht, Netherlands
关键词
MENTAL TIME-TRAVEL; AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL MEMORY; EPISODIC MEMORY; SELF-CONTROL; FORESIGHT; EVOLUTION; ANTICIPATE; EMERGENCE; IMAGINE;
D O I
10.1111/j.1467-7687.2010.00950.x
中图分类号
B844 [发展心理学(人类心理学)];
学科分类号
040202 ;
摘要
Much of humans' success rests on foresight, the ability to predict what will happen or what is needed in the future. Surprisingly little is known about how this faculty develops. In three experiments (N = 170), 3- and 4-year-old children were presented with simple puzzles. Fifteen minutes later in a different room they were given the opportunity to secure a solution to take back to the puzzle. Only the older children performed above chance, whereas both age groups could solve the task in an instant condition. The same pattern of results emerged for another task involving selection of something to 'feed ' a puppet whose favorite food was initially unavailable. Control conditions suggest that temporal rather than spatial displacement influenced performance. Verbal reports substantiated the conclusion that by age 4 some children can remember a novel problem sufficiently enough to recognize a solution and select that solution in anticipation of applying it to the problem in the future.
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页码:26 / 33
页数:8
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