Abstract

The purpose of this study was to discuss the individual differences of strategy choice based on "the distributions -of- associations model" designed by Siegler. Young children who are in a transitional period use multiple strategies such as retrieval and backup strategies(counting all, min, decomposition, guessing) to solve a simple addition problem. When we think that children use multiple strategies, the most important question is how children select particular strategy. Siegler and his associates developed the model to explain children's strategy choice process in problem solving of the variable tasks. According to this model, chldren's strategy choice is decided to the peakedness of distributions of association and the stringency of confidence criterion. Siegler(1988b) divided the individual difference of strategy choice into three groups by Cluster Analysis, which are a good students, a not-so-good students, and a perfectionists. Then, the differences between a not-so-good students and other two groups are interpreted to the peakedness of distributions, and the difference between a perfectionists and a good students to the stringency of confidence criterion. Basing on these interpretations, the individual differences of strategy choice reflect the representation of knowledge about the problem and the personal motivation. This research suggest the followings. 1. Particulary the poor students and young children should be teached the accurate practice of backup strategies, because backup strategy contribute to raise the confidence criterion of personal as well as to high the peckedness of distributions. 2. The relationships between individual differences of strategy choice and the reflectice-impulsive cognitive style should be retested by a many emperical studies. Lastly, the implications for the future research were suggested.