Equilibration and External Reinforcement in the Acquisition of Number Conservation

96 4-6 year-old children received number conservation training in 2 sessions over 2 successive days. The relative efficiency of 5 programs was investigated; there were 2 programs consisted of “practice in conflict situations without external reinforcement”, a similar program with reinforcement, direct training of number conservation, and mixed procedure with reinforcement. The 3 reinforced programs produced stable conservation response in about 3/5 of children, and 2/3 of them showed generalization of conservation principle. The 2 programs without reinforcement had almost no effect on average children, but provoked conservation response in a half of superior children who had responded correctly to conflict situations before training. The secondary training on nonconservers showed similar results, i. e., ineffectiveness of practice without reinforcement

Generalization · Mathematical analysis · Reinforcement · Reinforcement learning · Artificial Intelligence · Behavioral and Psychological Studies · Cognitive and developmental aspects of mathematical skills · Computer Science · Education Methods and Practices · Mathematics · Psychology · Social Psychology

• Logical Thinking in Children

  Paul Ammon, Paul R Ammon et al.•American Educational Research…•1969

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