| Abstract: | 96 4.5–12 yr olds and 20 college students were asked to draw the path a ball would take when exiting a curved tube. As in previous studies, many Ss erroneously predicted curvilinear paths. However, a clear U-shaped curve was evident in the data. Preschoolers and kindergartners performed as well as college students, whereas school-aged Ss were more likely to make erroneous predictions. Results of a 2nd study, with 24 preschoolers (mean age 5 yrs 2 mo), suggest that the youngest children's correct responses could not be attributed to response biases or drawing abilities. This developmental trend suggests that the school-aged children are developing intuitive theories of motion that include erroneous principles. Results are related to the "growth errors" found in other cognitive domains and to the historical development of formal theories of motion. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
