Abstract
A color photograph of an exemplar of each of six breeds of domestic cat was shown to young children. Correct verbalizations of values of the exemplars’ coat color (CCs), coat length (CLs), and eye colors (ECs) were fist assessed and then, with breed names, strengthened through four study-test trials under part (P), cumulative part (CP), or whole (W) presentation, and through four more study-test trials under common W presentation. By the last studytest trial, breed names and verbalization of CC, CI, and EC had increased. When the photographs were replaced by spoken breed names, correct verbalizations of CC, EC, and CL decreased precipitously to lower percentages of occurrence. Initial P, CP, or W presentation made essentially no difference in acquisition of breed names, in strengthening verbalizations of values of attributes of CC, CL, and EC, or in transfer of verbalizations of values from photographs to breed names.
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The authors were helped by Carol Merce, Director of the REM County Day School in East Brunswick, New Jersey, the children who participated, and these children’s parents.
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Schanbacher, J., Martin-Davidson, C., Goss, A.E. et al. Young children’s part-whole acquisition and transfer of knowledge of a fact matrix on cats. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 14, 311–314 (1979). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329464
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329464