'Old habits die hard--especially when you're three years old. According to aUniversity of Toronto study, toddlers have trouble obeying new rules that conflict with what they already know. This seems to be true even if they can understand and recite the laws being laid down.
In the study, quizzed kids had no trouble sorting a variety of objects based on their shape. But when they were asked to change their technique and sort by color instead, they persisted with their first approach.
This inability to adapt isn't about willfullness. Basically, three-year-olds lack the brainpower to be flexible about rules, explains Toronto psychologist Phillip Zelazo, Ph.D. The problem may stem from the status of a toddler's prefrontal cortex. The cortex is essential for "executive functions" like solving problems. But it's also one of the last brain regions to mature, continuing to develop right into adolescence.
