Characterizing Expert-Novice Differences on a Repeating Pattern Task

Patterning is often considered important for cognitive development because it offers opportunities for detecting rules and structure. However, it is not clear what distinguishes experts and novices in this domain. In this study, 95 adults (M_age = 19.5 years) and 90 children (M_age = 5.4 years) completed a repeating pattern abstraction task and explained their response after each item. We hypothesized that two strategies present in their speech and gesture—Unit Identification and Mapping—were reliable indicators of expertise. Multiple metrics supported this hypothesis: Adults used these strategies more than children; expert children used some of these strategies more than novice children; frequency of using these strategies predicted task accuracy; and success rates were high when these strategies were aligned in speech and gesture. Findings have important implications for characterizing expertise in patterning and for the precise operationalization of attention to structure.