Age differences in cognitive skill learning, retention and transfer: The case of the Tower of Hanoi Puzzle

• Age affects cognitive skill learning in typically developing 3rd and 6th graders.
• A tradeoff between accuracy and time characterizes cognitive skill learning.
• 6th graders outperform 3rd graders in the transferring a cognitively learned skill.

The current study aimed to investigate cognitive skill learning using the Tower of Hanoi Puzzle (TOHP). This study expanded use of the TOHP to measure baseline performance, learning rate, offline learning (following overnight retention), and transfer, comparing two age groups (Grades 3 and 6) of participants (n = 60). Several measures were analyzed from 14 trials with the TOHP over two sessions: accuracy, processing speed, and planning. Findings revealed a trade-off between accuracy and time in both baseline performance and the learning phase for both groups, whereas the results for offline learning indicated an advantage for the older group in planning after a night's sleep. Transfer seemed to be most affected by age as reflected in the younger group's more shallow learning and limited problem schema acquisition, which resulted in fewer long-lasting effects compared to the older group. Findings are consistent with the current literature on frontal lobe and executive function development.