Abstract

NAVARRO-ROLDAN, Claudia Patricia. Understanding gear systems: a study of cognitive change and cognitive tools in four year-old children. Univ. Psychol. [online]. 2008, vol.7, n.2, pp. 411-424. ISSN 1657-9267.

During the process of solving a problem situation involving a gear system in the context of manipulative game, the actions of four-year old children show plans and procedures that evidence the articulate use of cognitive tools of hypothesis statement and experimentation. We identify transformations of the cognitive functioning in the changes of knowledge representation formats: exploratory, intermediate, and solving. 60 children participated with four experimentation trials and two applications separated by a 15-days interval. A procedural perspective is privileged supported on the microgenetic methodology. Throughout the trials, the child states premises, transforms them, verifies them and draws conclusions, restates or generates new premises, thus advancing in his or her process of understanding

Keywords : Cognitive change; Statement of hypothesis; Experimentation; Physical reasoning; Problem solving; Games; Experimental; Cognition in children.

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