| Abstract: | Examined the role of hypothesis formation in the development of conceptual understanding of certain geometric principles of block design. 33 4–4? yr old children were instructed in the building of a series of 3-dimensional block designs under conditions which either permitted the use of copying strategies or mitigated against these and demanded hypothesis formation based upon partial information. No differences in error rate were found between conditions during duplication of familiar 3-dimensional block designs on a training test. Differences emerged when Ss were required to reconstruct, in 1 trial, from a photograph, familiar designs previously successfully duplicated from 3-dimensional models. Ss who originally had attempted to reconstruct 3-dimensional models under conditions requiring hypothesis formation, more accurately duplicated the complex, pictorial designs than did Ss who had reconstructed the 3-dimensional models under optimal cue conditions. Hypothesis formation, it is concluded, led to greater conceptual understanding of the geometric principles underlying the block designs. (French summary) (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
