由眼動探究學前幼兒類推時的認知困境

Examining Preschooler Analogical Reasoning Patterns via Eye Tracking

類推是指個體在瞭解新事物或解決問題時，能運用先備經驗中的相似概念加以類比，是學習新知與解決問題所需的重要能力。為瞭解學前幼兒類推時所面臨的困境，本研究依據瞭解Sternberg的成分理論，以適合評量學前幼兒類推能力的工具搭配眼動追蹤技術，觀察24位男女各半，年齡介於5.1至6.1歲幼兒解題時的眼動行為。本研究分析幼兒在解決「A : B = C : ?」類推問題時，視線在A、B、C、D各區之駐留時間及跨區掃視次數比例與類推答對率的相關，探究幼兒的類推困境是否與抑制衝動、注意力控制，以及訊息處理成分有關，並描述幼兒類推失敗時其眼動型態所呈現之特徵。研究發現幼兒所展現的類推困境，比較可能是導因於注意力控制不成熟，幼兒倉促作答的證據較不足。類推答對率越低的幼兒在解題時越容易過於專注C : D配對，而無法順利轉移注意至A : B配對，以致無法提取A : B的關係進行類推。幼兒解題時的視線掃視順序也經常不是很有條理。觀察幼兒答錯時的眼動型態則發現即使幼兒能發揮選擇性注意，仍有其他因素導致幼兒類推失敗。研究發現有助瞭解幼兒類推時的認知處理困境。

Analogical reasoning allows individuals to infer relationally similar phenomena across contexts and is basic to learning. In this study, we use eye tracking as a means of examining analogical processing among preschoolers. The componential model of analogical reasoning, proposed by Sternberg (1977), was used to associate eye movements with essential analogical processes while solving problems such as “A : B = C : ?.” Twenty-four children, 12 girls and 12 boys between the ages of 5.1 and 6.1 years were recruited from a kindergarten. Participant accuracy rates in solving classical analogies were correlated with visual behaviors. Our study goals were two-fold: (1) to examine whether attention control and inhibit control are related to the informational processes of children while solving classical analogy problems; and (2) to describe the characteristics of the eye movements of children when they failed in solving analogies. Evidence has not supported the hypothesis that children may fail to inhibit impulses to select an answer without further consideration. Children who failed more on solving analogies tended to expend comparably less time inferring the relation within the source pairing (A : B). In addition, these children proportionally switched less across A and B. The difficulty that young children encounter while solving analogies is that they may lack a well-honed ability to allocate cognitive attention appropriately to all essential components for analogy problems. Even young children allocate attention appropriately and may confront other difficulties. Finally, eye movement patterns for young participants often did not follow a logical order. We discuss other possible difficulties that children might confro nt while reasoning analogically.