Distinguish between positive and negative transfer, and give a concrete example of each to illustrate your discussion

In contrast, negative transfer occurs when prior knowledge hinders a person’s learning or performance at a later time.  This was the situation for poor Ted: He transferred a principle related to whole numbers (one number is always larger than another if it has more digits) to a situation where it didn’t apply: the comparison of decimals.  Another case of negative transfer occurs when students confuse the facts related to the various wars they study in history.  For example, some students in the United States believe that the American Revolution was a battle between the English and the French (thus confusing it with the French and Indian War) or between the Northern and Southern states (thus confusing it with the American Civil War).