Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Aug 5.
Published in final edited form as: Cogn Sci. 2010 May;34(4):602–619. doi: 10.1111/j.1551-6709.2010.01102.x

Table 1.

Examples of correct and incorrect problem-solving strategies children produced in speech and gesture

Explanation
 Speech
 Gesture
CORRECT STRATEGIES
Compensation “This one is taller but it’s also wider” Show the height of one or both containers,
then the width of one or both containers
Reversibility “If you poured it back, it would be the same” Mime “pouring” from the new container
back to the original container
Add-Subtract “You didn’t add any and didn’t take any away” Take-away swiping gesture near the container
Initial Equality “They were the same before you changed them” N/A
Identity “It’s the same water no matter what” N/A
Comparison + just “This one is just taller than that one” N/A
Description + just “The one is just wide” N/A
Transformation + just “You just poured this one in a different glass” N/A
INCORRECT STRATEGIES
Description “This one is tall” Show the height of one of the containers
Comparison “This one is taller and this one is shorter” Show the height of both of the containers
Transformation “You poured this in here” Mime “pouring” from the original container
to the new container