The conundrum is introduced by this: "The point of the game is to figure out which blocks make the machine light up and earn as many stars as you can."
Figuring out "which blocks make the machine light up" is not the same as "earning as many stars as you can", apparently.
If the original research introduced this ambiguity, then I don't think the conclusions of a "learning trap" are supported. Compare adults' and children's performances given a single goal, either "figure out the rule" or "earn more stars", but not both.
The children are likely to have misunderstood the directive to mean that the way to earn the most stars is by figuring out the rule, while adults properly understood the tradeoffs to earn the most stars
Figuring out "which blocks make the machine light up" is not the same as "earning as many stars as you can", apparently.
If the original research introduced this ambiguity, then I don't think the conclusions of a "learning trap" are supported. Compare adults' and children's performances given a single goal, either "figure out the rule" or "earn more stars", but not both.
The children are likely to have misunderstood the directive to mean that the way to earn the most stars is by figuring out the rule, while adults properly understood the tradeoffs to earn the most stars