Siegler R S, Chen Z
Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
Cogn Psychol. 1998 Aug;36(3):273-310. doi: 10.1006/cogp.1998.0686.
Trial-by-trial strategy assessments and a microgenetic design were used to examine 4- and 5-year-olds' learning of rules for solving balance scale problems. The design allowed us to examine simultaneously the contribution to rule learning of distal variables (qualities and knowledge with which children enter the learning situation) and proximal variables (processes that they execute during learning). Developmental differences in learning arose through two distal variables that were correlated with age--initial rule use and initial encoding-helping older children to execute several proximal processes--noticing the potential explanatory role of a key variable, formulating a more advanced rule, and generalizing and maintaining the rule. Joint consideration of distal and proximal influences seems likely to be generally useful for understanding learning and development.
采用逐次试验策略评估和微观发生设计来考察4岁和5岁儿童对解决天平问题规则的学习情况。该设计使我们能够同时考察远端变量（儿童进入学习情境时所具备的特质和知识）和近端变量（他们在学习过程中执行的过程）对规则学习的贡献。学习中的发展差异源于两个与年龄相关的远端变量——初始规则运用和初始编码，这有助于年龄较大的儿童执行几个近端过程，即注意到关键变量的潜在解释作用、制定更高级的规则以及概括和维持该规则。综合考虑远端和近端影响似乎对理解学习和发展通常是有用的。
