The Identification and Decomposition of Hierarchical Tasks

Abstract

The definition of hierarchical structure is reviewed, together with psychometric and experimental evidence regarding the existence of specific structures. Exceptions to hierarchical ordering are frequent enough to merit consideration of an assumption that skill on an item may simply transfer to the next higher item rather than being fully prerequisite to it. In some cases an alternate route hierarchy may occur, with persons either learning an item and then the next item or learning both at the same time. A mathematical model including hierarchical and nonhierarchical options fir a two-component task is presented; an experimental design appropriate to testing the model and related transfer hypotheses is also presented.