How people learn to skip steps.

Novices often explicitly apply in a domain each necessary operator while solving a problem, whereas experts often skip steps, and as a result, the solution procedures they use are often organized differently from those of novices. Using an algebra analog, the authors examined this change in process. In 2 experiments people learned the rules of the task and then solved many problems. Their solution procedures were monitored, and concurrent verbal protocols were taken. When participants started overtly skipping steps, they appeared to be performing them mentally but later started to use new transformations, thereby covertly skipping steps as well. An adaptive control of thought–rational model ( J. R. Anderson, 1993) of problem solver behavior within this task was developed and evaluated with respect to existing theories of skill acquisition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)