The problem with accommodation is that one can never know if the stage that the person is moving into has not already been acquired on some other task similar or not so similar.?If it has, then there can be transfer of training which is assimilation.?So, how does one ever know one is seeing accommodation??We tried really hard but I have my doubts.?For example, we first found a group of 5th and 6th graders who tested concrete on the isolation of variables problem.?Then we ran a number of conditions.?The one that generated the most stage change, from concrete all the way past abstract (early formal) to formal was the one who received points for correct answers.?But another group that just received practice but no feedback or points also improved but not nearly as much.?A warm up effect suggestd assimilation.
So what did we learn??First, testing just a few times is not enough, even when the problem is continuously changed.?As Fischer suggests, giving experience and a model leads to more stable reproducible performances.?But does any of this show accommodation??Doubtful.?We did find transfer of training to other content areas.?Follow ups showed even more transfer.
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