Does analogical transfer involve a term-to-term alignment?
According to dominant models of reasoning by analogy, analogical transfer requires subjects to first define a full one-to-one correspondence between the base and the target problems. Accordingly, these models predict that if there is a cross-mapping between the base and the target (cross-mapping exists when similar or identical elements in the base and the target play different roles), the time spent transferring a property from the base to the target will be greater. The present results are inconsistent with this prediction. Indeed, if the mapping task is more difficult in the cross-mapping condition than in the control condition, the time needed to make the transfer is not affected by the presence of a cross-mapping. Consequently, we conclude that the mapping phase is not a necessary condition for transfer.
University of Provence, Aix-en-Provence, France. ripoll@newsup.univ-mrs.fr
Thierry
T
Ripoll
Tristan
T
Brude
David
D
Coulon
D006801:Humans; D011340:Problem Solving; D011897:Random Allocation