This study attempted to clarify the developmental progression in the understanding of conditional sentences by evaluating the capacity of 71 third, 70 sixth, and 64 ninth graders to learn three interpretations of abstract conditional sentences. (JMB)

This study assessed the influence of age and ability on linear syllogistic reasoning in early adolescence by presenting bright and average 11- and 13-year-olds with 64, 3-term series problems. Results showed a dramatic effect on performance due to ability. Age effect was only marginally significant. (JMB)

Results showed that only 32 percent of adult female shoppers in a supermarket were able to use a proportional reasoning strategy to determine which of two sizes of a common item (size ratio 2:3) was the better buy. Performance declined when the ratio was more complex. (JMB)

Data from three studies with elementary and junior high school students are presented in support of the contention that facility in concrete operations is necessary and sufficient for competence in the simple syllogistic forms, while formal operations are required when dealing with conditional statements in certain more complex contexts.…

Two studies with first- and fifth-grade children in two learning tasks showed that preoperational children did not necessarily learn responses followed by a stimulus object previously instrumental in obtaining a reward, while postoperational subjects did. (Author/JMB)

A 16-item conditional reasoning test was given to 281 students in grades 8, 10, 12, and 14. Developmental patterns of performance were examined. (Author/JMB)

A 5-trial social-conditional reasoning task was administered to 80 children between the ages of 3 and 6 years. The results indicated that by 4 years of age children are able to reason from a premise to its logical conclusion in reasoning about the probable behavior of others. (JMB)

Children in two studies were shown a sequence of pictorial paired associates for study. They were subsequently tested for their recognition memory of these items plus an additional four new items that could be recognized if the child engaged in a reasoning-by-exclusion strategy. (JMB)

Studied high school and university students' use of mental representations in reasoning, and the developmental progression of their reasoning with concrete and abstract content. Reasoning was more difficult with abstract content. Abstract problems followed by concrete ones led to reduced concrete problem performance for high schoolers but not for…