Schema induction in children's analogical problem solving

Three experiments were conducted to explore the ability of school-age children to transfer solutions to analogous problems. This research addressed the issue of how the variability of procedural features in source examples facilitates the induction of a general problem schema and, thus, promotes subsequent transfer. Children were asked to solve a series of problems analogous to Luchins's (1942) classic water jar problems. All the problems shared a common isomorphic structure and a general solution but required either similar or different specific procedures. Children who experienced problems with variant procedural features were more likely than those who experienced problems with invariant procedural features to construct a general problem scheme and to solve novel problems requiring unfamiliar procedures. This research sheds light on the cognitive mechanisms involved in strategy generalization and analogical problem solving.