The beginnings of tool innovation in human ontogeny

• Verfasst von: Breyel, Sabine [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Pauen, Sabina [VerfasserIn]
• Titel: The beginnings of tool innovation in human ontogeny
• Titelzusatz: how three- to five-year-olds solve the vertical and horizontal tube task
• Verf.angabe: Sabine Breyel, Sabina Pauen
• E-Jahr: 2021
• Jahr: 28 April 2021
• Umfang: 20 S.
• Teil: volume:58
• Teil: year:2021
• Teil: month:04/06
• Teil: elocationid:101049
• Teil: pages:1-20
• Teil: extent:20
• Fussnoten: Gesehen am 01.07.2021
• Titel Quelle: Enthalten in: Cognitive development
• Ort Quelle: Amsterdam [u.a.] : Elsevier Science, 1986
• Jahr Quelle: 2021
• Band/Heft Quelle: 58(2021) vom: Apr./Juni, Artikel-ID 101049, Seite 1-20
• ISSN Quelle: 0885-2014
• DOI: doi:10.1016/j.cogdev.2021.101049
• Datenträger: Online-Ressource
• Sprache: eng
• Sach-SW: Cognitive development
• Sach-SW: Preschool children
• Sach-SW: Problem solving
• Sach-SW: Tool innovation
• K10plus-PPN: 1761736183

Abstract

This study focuses on tool innovation in preschoolers. It extends previous work by investigating task- and age-related changes in success rates, latency to success, and solution strategies. Three- to five-year-olds had 10 min to retrieve a toy from either a horizontal or a vertical tube by manufacturing a tool from multiple materials. In the Horizontal Tube Task, success rates were high irrespective of age. Solution strategies revealed mainly second-order innovation (i.e., manipulating materials while retrieving the toy). In the Vertical Tube Task, success rates increased with age and solution strategies reflected mainly first-order innovation (i.e., manufacturing the tool before trying to retrieve the toy). In the Vertical Tube Task, children needed more time to find a solution, with first-order innovation tending to be faster than second-order innovation. These findings demonstrate the potential of young preschoolers to innovate tools when given enough time, but also a high task-dependency of performance.