Transfer on Trial: Intelligence, Cognition, and Instruction

The importance of transfer for understanding intelligence, cognition, and education has been debated for a century, as it has been one of the central theoretical issues in psychology, education, and cognition. Education theories are based on the assumption that students will transfer what they learn in school to new situations. But what if transfer does not occur? Much of current educational practice could be called into question. This book presents views on the status of transfer research. Detterman argues that there is little evidence to support the existence of the transfer of complex skills such as those usually taught in school. Contributors Earl C. Butterfield and James G. Greeno argue that transfer not only exists but that it is fundamental to complex cognitive performance. Other contributors take intermediate positions, presenting a review of transfer studies in applied domains. These authors explore the situations in which transfer can or cannot occur.