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When actions speak louder than words: improving children's flexibility in a card-sorting task
Jennifer J Brace1, J Bruce Morton, Yuko Munakata
1University of Colorado at Boulder, CO 80309-0345, USA. munakata@colorado.edu
Psychological Science
|August 18, 2006
Summary
Children often repeat old behaviors. Guided practice, not just instructions, helps 3-year-olds switch to new rules, suggesting working memory limitations contribute to perseveration.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Perseveration, the repetition of inappropriate habitual behaviors, is common in children.
- This behavior may stem from working memory limitations in holding active instructions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if guided practice reduces perseveration in children by lessening working memory load.
- To compare the effectiveness of direct instruction versus guided practice in facilitating rule-switching.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 3-year-old children was conducted.
- Participants received either direct instructions, guided practice, or a combination of both to switch to a new rule.
Main Results:
- Guided practice was significantly more effective than direct instruction in helping children switch rules.
- Children receiving guided practice showed reduced perseverative behaviors.
Conclusions:
- Findings support theories linking perseveration to competing memory systems.
- Guided practice offers an effective strategy for overcoming prepotent behaviors in children.