Cracking the Problem of Inert Knowledge

Abstract

Abstract The retrieval of distant analogs lies at the core of the problem of inert knowledge. While experimental studies have documented our tendency to rely on surface similarities, naturalistic studies started to show a more balanced proportion of near and far retrievals, casting doubts on the validity of traditional experiments and on the adequacy of their associated computer simulations. By using a hybrid paradigm that retained both the ecological validity of naturalistic studies and the methodological control of the transfer paradigm, a series of studies carried out in our lab confirmed that surface similarity governs retrieval both in natural and experimental settings. After discussing these results, the present chapter reviews our successful and failed attempts to help learners overcome these competence limitations. Building upon Gentner et al.'s finding that distant retrieval can be boosted by comparing the target to a second analogous problem, our recent results demonstrate that the retrieval advantage of target elaborations can also be obtained without providing participants with target-specific information. We end by providing several plausibility arguments for the hypothesis that an abstraction of the target analog can enable access to distant analogs whose initial encoding had not highlighted their structural features.