About 25 children in each of grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 were tested in their ability to solve linear syllogisms, such as: John is taller than Mary. Mary is taller than Pete. Who is tallest--John, Mary, or Pete? Response latencies and error rates decreased across grade levels and sessions. Component latencies also generally decreased with increasing…

This response mode study attempts to determine whether different response modes are helpful or not in facilitating the thought process in a given problem solving situation. The Luchins Water Jar Test (WJT) used in this study illustrates the phenomena "Einstelling" (mechanization of response) because it does not require any specialized content…

Extensive research has proven that the functions of the two hemispheres of the brain tend to be qualitatively different. The left hemisphere, which for most people is dominant, is the major controller of speech, reading, and writing; it is the hemisphere toward which education traditionally has been directed. The right hemisphere excels in…

The history of attempts by psychologists to determine the contribution of personality to intelligence has not been one of unqualified success. Part of the problem may be in the balance of granularity of analyses on the intelligence side and the personality side. A comprehensive analysis of the contributions of extraversion and neuroticism to…

In the last few years, a rhetoric of inquiry has emerged to complement the rhetoric of the finished word. New interest in the "pre-writing" activities--e.g., audience analysis, concept formation, and the discovery of judgments which order and give meaning to experience--has manifested itself both in research into the nature of these activities and…

This social studies unit uses conflicting eyewitness and secondary accounts of what happened in Lexington, Massachusetts, on April 19, 1775, to illustrate the nature and methods of history and to encourage the student to function as an historian. Sections of the unit (1) introduce problems faced by historians by focusing on documentary materials…

The import of cognitive style research for educational problems and research is discussed. Topics covered include a definition of "cognitive style," particularly "field dependence/independence," individual differences in personal characteristics associated with differences in perceptual mode (field independence) relevance of…

A study was conducted to characterize the problem-solving processes of individuals with high scholastic aptitudes and individuals with low scholastic aptitudes. From a group of 532 Chicago area high school juniors, a group who scored high on the Differential Aptitude Test and a group that scored low were selected. They were given nine problems to…

Data were obtained on the reasoning processes of 92 normal seventh graders (IQ range, 90-130), 14 adjusted seventh graders (IQ range, 70-90), and 54 educable mentally retarded (EMR) junior high students (IQ range, 55-80) to determine whether spatial imagery differentially influenced the solution of three-term series problems, to determine the…

The common developmental problems of young adults--career focus, sex confidence, clarification of beliefs, and separation from parents--provide themes of interest to young adults. Using these themes and the human tendency to problem solve, specific information can be given to improve personal problem-solving skills without psychological games.…

This article examined several possible explanations for the negative effect found by Judson, et al., in their experiments which examined the facilitation of problem solving through acquisition of relevant associations. (Author/NCR)

Focuses on the attainment of the decision-making skills necessary for successful growth and development in today's technological world. A specific decision-making model is presented with guidelines for providing suitable experiences for students. (Author)

Discusses a study that examined which reasoning patterns are necessary for success in high school chemistry. Based on student (N=170) scores from the "Classroom Test of Formal Reasoning," it was revealed that students who use formal reasoning patterns are capable of greater achievement in chemistry. (ML)

This paper reports the evaluation of instructional provisions designed to foster higher cognitive skill in a computer programming course. This intervention explicitly encourages novice programmers to engage in the problem-solving skill of planning. (Author)

Research on intelligent tutoring systems is discussed from the point of view of providing moment-by-moment adaptation of content and form of instruction to the changing cognitive needs of individual learners. Implications of this goal for cognitive diagnosis, subject matter analysis, teaching tactics, and teaching strategies are analyzed. (Author)