Abstract: In this current work, 267 undergraduates recruited to investigate the cognitive processes of Tower of Hanoi(TOH)solving and its feature. The results indicated that planning time in the first move of TOH in efficient performers is longer than that of in unefficient performers, while the mean planning time of TOH in efficient performers is shorter than that of in unefficient performers. Moreover, some key moves(i.e., the first, the fifth, and the ninth moves in TOH with four disks)are important to TOH solving because most of errors occurred in these key moves in unefficient performers. Stepwise regression analyses observed that random number generation, selected attention and spatial short-term memory tasks were significantly related to TOH performance, suggesting that the cognitive process of TOH solving is related to planning-inhibition ability and spatial short-term memory.

Key words: Tower of Hanoi, executive function, working memory, short-term memory

摘要： 以267名大学生为被试,对汉诺塔问题(Tower of Hanoi)解决的认知过程及特点进行了分析。相对于汉诺塔问题解决较差者(有多余移动步骤的被试)而言,以最少步数解决汉诺塔问题的被试其第一步计划时间较长,但平均计划时间却明显要短。汉诺塔问题解决较差者多在关键步骤上出错,从而导致多余的移动步数以及总体完成时间的延长。进一步分析表明,汉诺塔问题解决的这种认知活动主要反映的是与计划和抑制有关的总体计划协调能力以及空间短时记忆能力。

关键词: 汉诺塔, 执行功能, 工作记忆, 短时记忆