Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026
11:09
RBDT: A Computerized Task System based in Transposition for the Continuous Analysis of Relational Behavior Dynamics in Humans
Published on: July 17, 2021
Developmental changes in active learning of transitive relations
Douglas B Markant1, Antonella Battisti2, Azzurra Ruggeri3
1Department of Psychological Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Developmental Psychology
|May 11, 2026
Summary
Children aged 7-17 improve at building general knowledge by learning related events. They increasingly prefer studying related information consecutively, aiding memory linking and complex reasoning development.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Development
- Developmental Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Forming generalizable knowledge relies on integrating related experiences.
- Relational reasoning and event integration improve throughout childhood.
- Limited research exists on actively constructing relational knowledge through study decisions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate developmental changes in actively constructing relational knowledge.
- To examine how children aged 7-17 approach learning related information.
- To understand the role of study strategies in relational inference development.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a transitive inference (TI) task with 107 children aged 7-17.
- Analyzed study preferences, specifically the "chained" study strategy.
- Employed computational models to analyze learning processes.
Main Results:
- Age-related improvements in relational inference were observed.
- Older children showed a stronger preference for "chained" study sequences.
- Computational models indicated a developing tendency to link relations into mental structures.
Conclusions:
- Active construction of relational knowledge develops late in childhood.
- The preference for chained study facilitates linking relations and building mental structures.
- Emerging study behaviors support complex mental representation and relational reasoning.
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