The Mechanism Of 3-5-year-old Children's Analogical Reasoning With Surface Similarity

Many studies show that surface similarity between base problem and target problem can facilitate the settlement of analogical reasoning. However there is no common opinion about the mechanism of surface similarity in analogy. It divided surface similarity into AC surface similarity and CD surface similarity in this research. It adopted homemade analogical test to examine the mechanism of surface similarity in analogy. It examined the developmental character of 3-5-year-old children's analogy with high or low surface similarity.It included two experiments. Experiment one examined the effects of high or low AC surface similarity on children's analogical reasoning, and the developmental character under the condition of series present. Experiment two examined the mechanism of CD surface similarity on children's analogical reasoning under the condition of series present. Individual test was adopted. It showed that:1. As to analogical tasks with low surface similarity, it is chrysalis for analogical reasoning from 3 to 3.5 years old, speedily grown-up from 3.5 to 4 years old, and slowly grown-up from 4 to 5.5 years old. As to analogical tasks with high surface similarity, it is basically stable linear development from 3 to 5.5 years old. These are result of knowledge and experience, development of analogical scheme, and degree that surface similarity can be perceptible.2. Different AC surface similarity has different effect on children's analogical reasoning. Higher AC surface similarity can facilitate children's analogical reasoning more effectively. It behaves as not only process rate but also process result.3. It is difficult between AC surface similarity and CD surface similarity for themechanism to children's analogical reasoning. Only when the structure that CD surface similarity implies is the same with the structure of base problem, can CD surface similarity facilitate children's analogical reasoning.4. Structure similarity is the basis of analogical reasoning. On the basis of structure similarity (that is in real analogical problem) surface similarity can facilitate analogical problem solving. Then, as for either AC surface similarity or CD surface similarity, more similar can bring easier analogical problem solving.