Transfer of Training as Analogical Mapping

Robert M. Schumacher, Dedre Gentner

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

38 Scopus citations

Abstract

Similarity is an important factor in transfer of training, but its precise role is not well understood. Is it overall fidelity or do some kinds of commonalities that matter more than others? It is proposed that the role of similarity in transfer can be clarified by a finer grained analysis. In this research, subjects learned a procedure for operating a simulated device and were asked to transfer the knowledge of the procedure to a new device. Two factors were varied: (1) the systematicity of the original device model (i.e. whether the subjects were given a coherent causal model or simply a set of operating procedures); and (2) the transparency of the mapping or degree of surface similarity between corresponding device components. The dependent measure was the number of trials to a criterion in the original and transfer devices. Results showed effects of both systematicity and transparency. Having a systematic mental model both facilitated learning of the initial device and promoted transfer to the target device. Transparency had strong effects on transfer subjects learned the new device faster when corresponding pairs of components were similar than when noncorresponding pairs were similar. These results suggest that there are at least two separate factors to consider in transfer the systematicity of the common domain model and the transparency of corresponding components.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)592-600
Number of pages9
JournalIEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics
Volume18
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 1988

Funding

Manuscript received June 2, 1987; revised September 11, 1987. This work supported by the Office of Naval Research under contract no. N00014-85-K-0559, NR667-551. Portions of this work were presented at the Panel on Mental Models at the IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, 1986, Atlanta, GA.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Engineering

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