2024 Volume 72 Issue 2 Pages 87-98
Students tend to fail to apply appropriate knowledge in problem-solving, even after they have been taught how to do that. Previous studies have demonstrated a familiarity effect in knowledge application, that is, students tend to apply category rules to known cases but not to unknown ones. The present study examined whether the familiarity effect can also be observed in other category rules, and to develop a hypothesis about its mechanism. Specifically, the present research examined whether existing knowledge on common properties of rules would affect the occurrence of the familiarity effect. The participants were university students (Study 1, N=52; Study 2, N=45). The familiarity effect was confirmed with both animal rules and seed plant rules. Furthermore, the results of the study with seed plant rules suggested that there may be 2 types of mechanisms underlying the occurrence of the familiarity effect: one that depends on existing knowledge about common properties, and one that is independent of existing knowledge. Teaching strategies aimed at eliminating the familiarity effect should be developed.
