抑制控制有助于减小从知道到做到的距离：来自高中生概率匹配测试的证据

It is well known that "knowing" does not always lead to "doing," resulting in the "knowing-doing gap." This gap underscores the challenges in transforming knowledge into action and has sparked considerable interest among researchers in fields such as education and management. Previous research has primarily explored this issue through summaries of experience, while lacking empirical studies that illuminate the cognitive mechanisms underlying successful knowledge application. In the probability matching test (PMT), the optimal strategy is to always predict the event with the higher probability. This approach requires participants to accurately apply their understanding of independent events, making the test an effective tool for uncovering the knowledge-action gap.Therefore, this study empirically assesses the "knowledge-doing gap" among high school students using the PMT and employs the Embedded Figures Test (EFT), Simon Task, and AX version of the Continuous Performance Task (AX-CPT) to measure their field-independent vs. field-dependent cognitive style, inhibitory control ability, and proactive control index, respectively, in order to explore the cognitive mechanisms underlying knowledge application. We recruited 79 high school juniors (Mean age = 17.09 years old, SD = 0.34 years old) who had previously learned probability knowledge. The same experimenter individually administered the PMT, EFT, Simon Task, and AX-CPT to each participant. In the PMT, participants see an image of an opaque bag on a computer screen containing 7 red balls and 3 blue balls. They are told that the game organizer will randomly draw a ball from the bag, and they must predict its color. The game consists of 10 rounds, with the drawn ball being returned to the bag after each round. Participants who consistently choose the red ball throughout all rounds are considered to have passed the probability matching test (referred to as the PMpass), while those who choose the blue ball at least once are considered to have failed the test (referred to as the PMfail). After finishing the PMT, participants were asked if they understood the criteria for independent events to occur.The results revealed the following: (1) While all students demonstrated an understanding of independent events, only 35% passed the PMT, significantly lower than the 48% success rate observed in previous studies with university students; (2) High school students with a smaller "knowing-doing gap" exhibited lower Simon scores, higher proactive control index, and higher EFT scores; (3) Individuals with higher EFT scores tend to have lower Simon scores, which subsequently leads to better performance on the PMT, as evidenced by a full mediation model.These results suggest that, in the process of knowledge application, a field-independent cognitive style helps inhibit irrelevant distractions and impulsive responses, thereby narrowing the "knowing-doing gap" and enhancing knowledge application abilities. This study is the first to empirically uncover the cognitive mechanisms behind the "knowing-doing gap" and proposes potential intervention strategies.