To determine if message recipients rely on heuristics when evaluating message validity, the study examines whether the differential impact of information framed in terms of losses (costs of not choosing an option) versus gains (benefits of choosing an option) might be a function of heuristic processing. Subjects, 87 undergraduate psychology…

Summarizes research that contrasts the approaches and attitudes of successful and unsuccessful problem solvers. Supplies a categorized list of problem solver characteristics. (RT)

Adverse effects of material rewards on Wechsler subscale performance may be the result of a reward-produced developmental regression. To further explore that idea through replicating earlier findings with adults, and to extend the enquiry to children, selected Wechsler subscales were administered to 32 subjects at each of three ages (5, 10, and 18…

Examines various types of problems that researchers have used to demonstrate problem solving. Focuses on genetics problems. Discusses classes of learning outcomes, conceptual knowledge gains, content-independent heuristics, content-specific procedures, understanding the nature of science and a typology of genetics problems. (CW)

Trends in emphases in the study of clinical reasoning are examined, with attention to three major branches of research: problem-solving, knowledge engineering, and propositional analysis. There has been a general progression from a focus on the generic form of clinical reasoning to an emphasis on medical content that supports the reasoning…