We studied inquiry behavior in concept identification in first-, fifth-, eighth-grade, and college students with problems involving eight four-letter strings. The task was to identify the correct string by asking questions related to either one letter or four letters that were answered by yes or no. Processing demands were manipulated by comparing (a) a condition in which letter strings were removed from view as feedback eliminated them as possible solutions with a condition in which …showed first 75 words of 598 total…

…showed last 75 words of 598 total…At the three upper grade levels, strategies for selecting queries were adapted to situations, with less demanding strategies being used when processing demands were higher. THE ABILITY OF CHILDREN to process information while solving concept identification problems has long been of interest to students of cognitive development. Theorists from the structuralist ( Inhelder & Piaget, 1958) and information processing ( Ault, 1977; Bruner, Olver, & Greenfield, 1966) schools have emphasized that changes in this ability are an important component of cognitive development