Structure and Implementation of Novel Task Rules: A Cross-Sectional Developmental Study
Frederick Verbruggen, Rossy McLaren, Maayan Pereg, Nachshon Meiran
Psychological Science · 2018 · Volume 29 · Issue 7
Abstract
Rule-based performance improves remarkably throughout childhood. The present study examined how children and adolescents structured tasks and implemented rules when novel task instructions were presented in a child-friendly version of a novel instruction-learning paradigm. Each miniblock started with the presentation of new stimulus-response mappings for a go task. Before this mapping could be implemented, subjects had to make responses in order to advance through screens during a preparatory (“ next” ) phase. Children (4–11 years old) and late adolescents (17–19 years old) responded more slowly during the next phase when the next response was incompatible with the instructed stimulus-response mapping. This instruction-based interference effect was more pronounced in young children than in older children. We argue that these findings are most consistent with age-related differences in rule structuring. We discuss the implications of our findings for theories of rule-based performance, instruction-based learning, and development.
Keywords
cognitive development, rule implementation, task instructions, intention-based reflexivity, interference, open data
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