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Related Experiment Videos

Production of negative transfer in a problem-solving task.

R Eric Landrum1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725-1715, USA. elandru@boisestate.edu

Psychological Reports
|March 4, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Students experienced negative transfer when solving problems with surface similarities but different structures. This phenomenon, where prior knowledge hinders new learning, was reliably demonstrated, paving the way for further research.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Educational Psychology
  • Problem-Solving Research

Background:

  • Negative transfer occurs when prior learning impedes new learning.
  • Understanding negative transfer is crucial for optimizing educational strategies.
  • Previous research has explored various conditions influencing transfer of learning.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate negative transfer in problem-solving tasks.
  • To examine the effect of surface similarity versus structural dissimilarity on problem-solving performance.
  • To establish a reliable experimental context for demonstrating negative transfer.

Main Methods:

  • 72 students participated in the study.
  • Participants solved a target problem after attempting a source problem.

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  • Source and target problems were designed to have surface similarities but structural differences.

    • Main Results:

    • Negative transfer was observed in three distinct source-target problem combinations.
    • Performance on the target problem decreased below baseline levels in these instances.
    • The study successfully created conditions to reliably demonstrate negative transfer.

    Conclusions:

    • Surface similarity alone is insufficient to guarantee positive transfer and can lead to negative transfer.
    • The findings provide a robust foundation for future research into the mechanisms of negative transfer.
    • This research highlights the importance of structural understanding in problem-solving over superficial resemblance.