Interrelations among learning and performance tasks at the preschool level

Administered 8 learning and 8 performance tasks to 50 4- and 5-yr-old preschoolchildren. The median correlation among the learning tasks was .17, indicating a high degree of differentiation of learning abilities in preschoolchildren. There were significant relations among simple learning tasks and tasks dependent upon more complex cognitive processes (i.e., paired-associate learning with observational learning, problem solving, and category sorting; observational learning with problem solving and category sorting). The 2 performance tasks yielding the greatest number of significant positive relations with the learning tasks were attention and following instructions. Scores on the attention task were significantly related to performance on oddity learning, observational learning, problem solving, and category sorting. The significant correlations for following instructions were those with paired-associate learning, serial memory, observational learning, incidental learning, and problem solving. Level of aspiration was negatively related to performance on serial memory, observational learning, and incidental learning. In general, there were few sex differences in level of performance or incidence of significant correlations.