Relational discrimination of hue by young children

Performance-acquisition of relational discrimination of the greener member of pairs of hues from among four blue to green hues and from among four yellow to green hues was related to presence or absence of instructions to choose the greener member of a pair crossed with presence or absence of information about correctness of choice. The Ss were younger (X = 49 months, N = 32) and older (X = 63 months, N = 32) white middle-class boys and girls from among those then attending a private suburban nursery school. Through 48 trials under the four combinations of instructions and information, the relational discrimination was most complete or acquired fastest with instructions to choose the greener member, regardless of presence or absence of information. Relational discrimination was less complete or acquired less rapidly with information alone, and did not occur in the absence of instructions and information.