Where will it go? Concepts of motion in complex events

Abstract

Common misconceptions provide a window into how people learn about and understand the world. This study explores the misconceptions of both children (5.5 to 6.5 year olds) and adults of how multiple components of motion combine in complex events. Children were shown to have basic, accurate conceptions of complex motion, but only if all components of motion were in the same dimension. For events that span two dimensions most children responded inconsistently, but some already showed a common adult misconception - one force dominating the motion. Across all ages, dominance was most strongly elicited when forces were applied sequentially, with the most recently applied force determining the motion. The results suggest a developmental trajectory for (mis)conceptions of motion that is strongly influenced by a tendency to incorrectly break complex events down into independent sub-events. Evidence also points to spatial thinking as a potentially important tool for fostering correct conceptions of motion.