Five types of transfer: From the linguistic dimension to the one based on morphological and geometric properties of stimuli

Abstract

Forty subjects, divided in five groups of four children and four high school students, were trained and tested on one type of transfer task. Conditions between training and transfer tests varied one of five features: a) instances; b) stimulus modality and linguistic mode; c) matching criterion; d) text color versus linguistic category; and e) instances and stimulus modality. A second-order matching-to-sample task was used. Better performances were shown by children in tests that changed the instance or the instance and modality. High school students performed better on the test that involved change of the instance or modality. Extrarelational and extradimensional transfer tests proved more difficult, especially for the high school students. The results are discussed in terms of the identity relation, linguistic modes, stimulus modality, and vertical downward transfer.