Perceptual activity and concept attainment.

Abstract

120 children, 30 at alternate grade levels from kindergarten to grade 6, were trained to acquire either a character, activity, or setting concept in a standard, 2-stimuli training procedure. Results of the first experiment revealed a significant increase with age in the efficiency with which children attained character, activity, and setting concepts. The data also suggested, although the F for type of concept was not significant, that kindergarten children had particular difficulty in attaining activity and setting concepts. This observation was given statistical support by the results of a second experiment in which kindergarten children were significantly less successful than second-grade children in shifting from a character to an activity or setting concept.