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Two experiments were conducted to investigate how children aged 36 years performed in classical analogy problems based on single and double relations. The number of relations in an analogy is seen as an important competence factor in Halford's theory of analogical development (1987, 1992, 1993). In contrast, other authors have proposed that the critical factor in analogical success is relational familiarity (e.g. Brown, 1989; Chen & Daehler, 1989; Gentner, 1989; Goswami, 1992, 1996; Inagaki & Hatano, 1987; Vosniadou, 1989). In our experiments, we gave children analogies to solve based on pairs of causal relations (such as cutting and wetting), and also measured their performance when similar analogies were based on single relations (such as cutting or wetting). The ability to process the relations or relation used in each analogy was also measured in control conditions. The results suggested that the number of relations in an analogy does not overload available capacity. Clear 'learning-to-learn' effects were found in both studies, showing that children's analogical performance can improve significantly over the course of an experiment, even when relational familiarity is present.
There is now fairly widespread agreement that analogical reasoning is available early in childhood, and that it must play an important role in cognitive development (e.g. Brown, 1989; Chen & Daehler, 1989; Gentner, 1989; Goswami, 1992, 1996; Halford, 1993; Inagaki & Hatano, 1987, 1991; Vosniadou, 1989). Analogy depends on the recognition of relational or structural similarity, and is classically expressed as an equality of proportions A:B::C:D, as in wide:narrow::high:low (see Goswami, 1992). In this analogy, the A and B terms are linked by the relation 'opposite end of dimension', and this relation can be mapped to the C term in order to solve the analogy. Relational mapping is a hallmark of analogy (see Gentner, 1983). For example, relational similarities between base problems and target problems allow the target problem to be solved by analogy to the base, as the solution to the base problem can be mapped to the target problem. Here the mapping usually involves a relational structure (an example is the relational similarity between the structure of the atom and the solar system; Gentner, 1983). Thus, the relational similarities to which analogy can be applied can take many forms, and in some cases...