Children's adaptave strategies in a tool use task

Problem solving and strategy adaptation was assessed in 47 children ranging from 36 to 67 months. This was evaluated through problem sets in which participants were given tools that failed to reach given goal states, and then instructed to select appropriate tools in order to reach desired results. Analyses revealed that when participants were given a choice of tools to solve a given problem, they were more likely to select a correct tool when options were similar in function and appearance. Additionally, participants were more likely to verbalize the need for a new tool when there was a lack of novel tool choices. However, the presence of a novel tool choice was linked to longer problem solving time. Findings are congruent with literature that suggests children possess the ability to select tools based on functional, not superficial, qualities, and can be easily distracted by the presence of novel stimuli.