The A-not-B error: Multiple theories for a single event

Abstract

We have carried out a review of the most important theories which have tried to approach the A-not-B error and we also present some empirical results. Besides the classical Piagetian perspective, we have also studied other theories, such as the connectionist one, the psychobiological one and the dynamic systems perspective. All of them take into consideration the active role of the individual, but they study these task solving processes differently.

Our empirical results make us get closer to the psychobiological explanations which consider that A-not-B error is due to dysfunction of inhibitory processes. However, our results show that more specific studies are needed, which take into account not only neuropsychological and cognitive aspects, but also situational ones, that seem to take part in this complex system and, at the same time, would allow to find explanations in accordance to the empirical reality.