Research On The Effect Of Stimuli-presenting Mode On Children And Adolescents'Classification

In all, 180 subjects including junior middle school students , senior middle school students and undergraduates from Yanheng city, whose eyesight and intelligence were normal, were randomly selected and participated in this experiment. The stimuli materials were consisted of 50 perceptually different pictures which were divided into 3sets.The stimuli materials were presented in 3 conditions(A,B,C) , and on the base of subjects' performance and explanation, the dependent variables were the results of classification based on single-dimension characteristics, whole similarity, two - phrase strategy and other strategies. The experiment design included within-subjects and between -subjects, in which each of the 3 sets of stimuli materials and each of 3 present conditions took turns . The x test was performed on the datum with SPSS8.Ofor windows. The results showed: (1) The stimuli-presenting mode had effect on students' classification, and they were different with ages. First, the effect was greatly significant for undergraduates. They were inclined to classify on the base of single -dimension characteristics of stimuli under A condition, whole similarity under B condition, and two -phrase strategy under C condition. Second, the effect of present ing conditions were relatively significant for senior middle school students. In this period, students classified primarily on the base of single- dimension characteristics of stimuli under A condition, whole similarity under B condition, and two-phrase strategy under C condition. Third, presenting conditions made no significant effect on junior middle school students. The students of this period were inclined to classify on the base of single-dimension under each present condition. (2)The results of classification of subjects were different with while the difference varied with stimuli-presenting mode. First, under B conditions, the difference among every grades was significant.. From junior middle school to undergraduates, there were two developmental trends: as the age increasing, the students who focused on single - dimension characteristics of stimuli were fewer and fewer; the students who focused on whole similarity were more and more. The turn point of the classification b from single -dimension to whole similarity emerged in junior middle school students and senior school students. Second, under C condition, there was significant difference with age. Under C condition the two developmental trend and the turn point was the same as under B condition. Third, under A condition there was not significant difference with ages. Subjects of all age were inclined to classify on the base of single-dimensional characteristics. (3) The perceptual characteristics of stimuli had no effect on students?classification. The difference among junior middle school students , senior school students and undergraduates classifying on materials a, b, c was not significant.