Forty toddlers, 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 years of age, and 8 adults, searched for stickers that were hidden underneath two discretely different classes of objects embedded in arrays containing several classes. Study results suggest that the children appear to have been attempting to determine which kinds of choices were the wrong ones. (Author/RWB)

Describes the beginning of a study of the cognitive processes required for applying financial accounting knowledge to specific problem solving situations. Task analysis is used to describe the cognitive components of accounting, and algorithms for the tasks are appended. Eighteen references are listed. (Author/CHC)

Discusses the increased emphasis on problem solving and problem-based learning in instructional design and the need for new methods for task analysis and models for designing instruction. Defines the rationale and means for analyzing, organizing, and presenting stories to support problem solving by case-based reasoning. (Author/LRW)

The authors identified factors affecting problem finding depending on degree of structure of problem situation--either ill or moderately structured. Fifth-grade students (N = 115) were randomly assigned to 2 groups: Group 1 (n = 60) accomplished the ill-structured task; Group 2 (n = 55) performed the moderately structured task. Results indicated…

A unified theory of planning and debugging is explored by designing a problem solving program called PATN. PATN uses an augmented transition network (ATN) to represent a broad range of planning techniques, including identification, decomposition, and reformulation. (The ATN is a simple yet powerful formalism which has been effectively utilized in…

Third grade children were trained in component processes of problem solving strategies and were subsequently tested on ability to transfer the strategies to novel situations. Results indicate that, contrary to the Piagetian position, generalizable problem solving strategies were acquired at this age level. (Author/GO)

The study investigated the cognitive processes underlying differences in computer competency between 29 intellectually gifted and 14 nongifted children. Findings are analyzed. (Author/MT)

The study was designed to support teachers on designing problem-posing tasks to understand students' mathematical learning. Seven classroom teachers and the researcher collaboratively set up a school-based team participating in an assessment project that assists teachers in implementing assessment integral to instruction. Four categories that the…

On each of 10 trials, 80 college students were presented with a different set of five anagram tasks varying in complexity. Half the subjects rated the tasks for the amount of interestingness and half for the amount of pleasantness. (Editor/RK)

The present research study investigates how undergraduate students in an integrated calculus and physics class use physics to help them solve calculus problems. Using Zandieh's (2000) framework for analyzing student understanding of derivative as a starting point, this study adds detail to her "paradigmatic physical" context and begins to address…

The topic of teaching troubleshooting is examined as an example of the teaching of cognitive strategies for technical problem solving. The traditional behavioral approach to teaching troubleshooting has essentially been algorithmic. Recent cognitive research suggests an approach founded first on task analysis and characterized by: (1) analysis of…

The relative strength of mastery motivation and need for approval was tested in subjects, ages 4 and 10. Mastery motivation was of major importance to the older children, particularly the boys. Contrary to prediction, approval was not of major importance to the young children. Need for approval was important for girls, but not boys. (Author/CS)

Results indicate that for the task of generating counterexamples to invalid syllogisms, a primary source of difficulty is the first step of forming the negation of the conclusion, especially if the conclusion is a "Some are not" statement. When this step is done for the subject, most of the errors disappear. (Author/BJG)

This study investigated the question of whether young children can form response chains in problem solving. After reviewing the literature relating to chaining as a component of problem solving, the author argues that a test of chaining should be free of requirements to recall previously learned material, remember general information, or apply…