TY - JOUR
T1 - Contrasting Ohlsson's resubsumption theory with Chi's categorical shift theory
AU - Chi, Michelene
AU - Brem, Sarah K.
N1 - Funding Information:
The first author is grateful for funding from the Spencer Foundation, and the second author is grateful for funding from the National Science Foundation, Grant No. 0635629.
PY - 2009/1
Y1 - 2009/1
N2 - Ohlsson's proposal of resubsumption as the dominant process in conceptual, or nonmonotonic, change presents a worthy challenge to more established theories, such as Chi's theory of ontological shift. The two approaches differ primarily in that Ohlsson's theory emphasizes a process of learning in which narrower, more specific concepts are subsumed by more general, abstract categories through recognition of similarities, whereas Chi's theory emphasizes the dissociation of overly general categories through the recognition of differences. We examine the evidence for both theories and consider the educational implications of each. Overall, though subsumption almost certainly plays a role in nonmonotonic change, we maintain, on the basis of evidence from cognitive science and developmental psychology, that dissociation accounts for a greater portion of the re-representational processes underpinning changes in the structure of learner's knowledge.
AB - Ohlsson's proposal of resubsumption as the dominant process in conceptual, or nonmonotonic, change presents a worthy challenge to more established theories, such as Chi's theory of ontological shift. The two approaches differ primarily in that Ohlsson's theory emphasizes a process of learning in which narrower, more specific concepts are subsumed by more general, abstract categories through recognition of similarities, whereas Chi's theory emphasizes the dissociation of overly general categories through the recognition of differences. We examine the evidence for both theories and consider the educational implications of each. Overall, though subsumption almost certainly plays a role in nonmonotonic change, we maintain, on the basis of evidence from cognitive science and developmental psychology, that dissociation accounts for a greater portion of the re-representational processes underpinning changes in the structure of learner's knowledge.
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U2 - 10.1080/00461520802616283
DO - 10.1080/00461520802616283
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:60649109895
SN - 0046-1520
VL - 44
SP - 58
EP - 63
JO - Educational Psychologist
JF - Educational Psychologist
IS - 1
ER -