PRACTICE SCHEDULES AND SUBGOAL INSTANTIATION IN CASCADED PROBLEM-SOLVING

Fluent problem solving depends on efficient instantiation of subgoals for executing component skills. In 3 experiments, the authors examined how component-skill practice schedules and problem-solving demands in teract to affect fluency in mental calculation. Participants practiced Boolean rules in blocked or random practice schedules and then solved problems that varied in the need to switch rules and in preview of up coming operators. In Experiment 1, participants more quickly solved pr oblems requiring repeated use of a single rule than problems using mul tiple rules, but practice schedules had no effect. In Experiment 2, ra ndom practice produced a transfer benefit for multiple-rule problems t hat allowed operator preview. Experiment 3 verified the importance of preview. These results suggest that when participants can rapidly swit ch rules, they achieve fluency by overlapping steps in a manner analog ous to perceptual-motor skills.