Showing papers on "Verbal reasoning published in 1978"
531 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, three possible sources of non-random but extraneous vairance in self-reported attitude data are considered: self-flattery, response set, and the approval motive.
Abstract: Self-reported attitude data over the last decade have often been used as predictors of attained second language proficiency and for other purposes. Three possible sources of non-random but extraneous vairance in self-reported attitude data are considered: self-flattery, response set, and the approval motive. It is suggested that some of the variance in verbal intelligence is common to variance in first and second language proficiency, some of which in turn may be common to the kinds of non-random sources of variance in self-reported data which are listed above. It is demonstrated that it is possible that self-reported attitude measures may be surreptitious measures of verbal intelligence and/or language proficiency. To the extent that extraneous non-random sources of variance in self-reported attitude measures can be shown to exist, the measures must be assumed to be non-valid.
85 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, Kinesic and verbal performance data were collected for two groups of women college seniors chosen to represent extremes in a type of verbal ability termed here referential competence, i.e., the strength of the symbol-referent links in semantic memory.
Abstract: Kinesic and verbal performance data were collected for two groups of women college seniors chosen to represent extremes in a type of verbal ability termed here referential competence. This ability is conceptualized in terms of degree of integration of symbolic and ikonic representation systems, i.e., the strength of the symbol-referent links in semantic memory. A criterion measure of referential competence was developed using deviation of color naming from word-reading times on the Stroop Color-Word test. Referential competence was shown to be statistically as well as conceptually unrelated to both the standard verbal intelligence and fluency measures, and to cognitive style. During a five-minute videotaped monologue about a personal experience, persons high in referential competence produced verbal material which was specific, vivid, and objective; in contrast to the subjective and general material of the low referential group; and also produced approximately three times as many object-focused hand movements, linked to rhythm and intonation patterns of speech but largely without decipherable content. The results suggest that motor schema have a continuing intrinsic role in mature speech production, related to structure rather than content of language.
49 citations
TL;DR: A deficit in verbal skills may preclude delinquents from adequately describing their perceptions of the emotional reactions of others and it may also necessitate a nonverbal, rather than verbal, reaction to others' emotions.
Abstract: Adolescent male offenders and nonoffenders were compared on two tasks designed to assess reactions to the nonverbal emotion expressions of others. It was found that the offender group was less accurate in labeling another's emotion states but that this difference was apparently a function of verbal intelligence. Further, the remits of the second task, a task not related to verbal intelligence, indicated that the punitive decisions of both the offender and nonoffender groups were similarly affected by the actors' nonverbal emotions. These results were discussed as indicating that much of the social insensitivity often ascribed to delinquents may simply be a result of impoverished verbal skills among this group. A deficit in verbal skills may preclude delinquents from adequately describing their perceptions of the emotional reactions of others and it may also necessitate a nonverbal, rather than verbal, reaction to others' emotions.
28 citations
27 citations
TL;DR: Since correlational analyses indicated that scores on the vividness questionnaire and the Gordon Controllability of Imagery Questionnaire were not independent, it was suggested that questionnaires ought to be developed better to differentiate the abilities to generate and control visual images.
Abstract: Selected on the basis of their scores on the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire, 16 High Visualizers and 14 Low Visualizers (equally divided by sex) completed various cognitive tasks thought to involve visual (Space Relations, Watch Rotation) and non-visual (Verbal Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, Numerical Ability) processes Although Low Visualizers (particularly males) were superior to High Visualizers in Numerical Ability, both groups performed equally well on the other tests Since correlational analyses indicated that scores on the vividness questionnaire and the Gordon Controllability of Imagery Questionnaire were not independent, particularly for females, it was suggested that questionnaires ought to be developed better to differentiate the abilities to generate and control visual images
27 citations
TL;DR: There was a lack of improvement during early adolescence in the ability to reason with both class and conditional reasoning arguments, and the difficulty of specific principles of inference varied according to both the type of reasoning and the location of negation in the major premise of the arguments.
Abstract: Sixty adolescents (30 boys and 30 girls) evaluated conclusions for deductive arguments embodying four principles of class reasoning and their logically equivalent isomorphs in conditional reasoning. The presence or absence of the negative "not" was varied systematically in the major premise of the arguments. The results indicated that (a) there was a lack of improvement during early adolescence in the ability to reason with both class and conditional reasoning arguments, (b) the difficulty of specific principles of inference varied according to both the type of reasoning and the location of negation in the major premise, and
13 citations
TL;DR: It was concluded that the perceptual problems of the learning-disabled reside at a functional rather than at an organizational level, thus effecting only specific congnitive activities.
Abstract: The present study was designed to investigate whether learning-disabled children differ from normal achievers in terms of logical thought and wheter they exhibit decalages intheir acquisition of Piagetian concepts. The Ss comprised 35 learning-disabled boys attending full-time remedial schools and 35 matched normal achievers. The group mean was 9 years 1 month and the mean IQ was 109. S s were tested on a measure of visual perception and on 11 Piagetian tasks measuring conservation of quantitiy and number, seriation, and classification. Results indicated a significant difference between the groups in terms of perception but not in terms of logical thought. The rank order of the 11 Piagetain tasks was significantly correlated for the two groups (r = .89). It was concluded that the perceptual problems of the learning-disabled reside at a functional rather than at an organizational level, thus effecting only specific congnitive activities.
13 citations
11 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the relative power of two methods of changing fallacious reasoning was investigated in 160 male and female undergraduate university students, among three experimental conditions: didactic-correction method, self-contradiction method, control.
Abstract: Summary The relative power of two methods of changing fallacious reasoning was investigated in 160 male and female undergraduate university students. Ss were randomized among three experimental conditions: didactic-correction method, self-contradiction method, control. Resistance to committing the fallacies of affirmation of the consequent and denial of the antecedent was studied in an experimental reasoning task. The didactic-correction method was significantly (p < .001) more effective than the self-contradiction method for both types of logical fallacies and for both scientific reasoning problems and personal reasoning problems. On a transfer task concerned with a reduction of errors in drawing logical inferences, the didactic-correction method was significantly (p < .01) more effective than the self-contradiction method. It was concluded that the didactic-correction method, based on repetitive cognitive information feedback procedures, was more effective in reducing fallacious reasoning than the self-...
TL;DR: Using intelligence as a covariate, field-independent subjects in Grade 8 performed significantly better than field-dependent subjects on each type of content on three content types of conditional reasoning tasks.
Abstract: The relationship between psychological differentiation and performance on three content types (concrete-plausible, concrete-implausible, symbolic) of conditional reasoning tasks was investigated. Using intelligence as a covariate, field-independent subjects (n = 94) in Grade 8 performed significantly better than field-dependent subjects (n = 121) on each type of content. A significant interaction was found. Greater differences between field independent and field-dependent subjects were observed for concrete-implausible and symbolic contents than for concrete-plausible content.
01 Jan 1978
TL;DR: Barreiter as mentioned in this paper reported negative associations between formal reasoning performance and children's self-confidence and discipline, but the correlations reported in their paper are positive, and the error arose from interpreting multiple regression weights instead of correlations.
Abstract: BEREITER, CARL. An Error of Interpretation in Cloutier and Goldschmid's "Individual Differences in the Development of Formal Reasoning." CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1978, 49, 251-252. Cloutier and Goldschmid erroneously report negative associations between formal reasoning performance and children's self-confidence and discipline. In fact the correlations reported in their paper are positive. The error arose from interpreting multiple regression weights instead of correlations. It is suggested that multiple regression coefficients need to be treated with caution and usually require further analysis before their meaning is clear.
TL;DR: This paper investigated the effect of the verb on inferences in reasoning tasks with conditionals and found that implicit meanings acquired through processes of social attribution play an essential role in verbal reasoning, and concluded that any logical model aiming at an adequate representation of language in reasoning must take these implicit social attributions into account.
Abstract: Investigated the effect of the verb on inferences in reasoning tasks with conditionals. Subjects were 60 pupils, both male and female, aged 17 to 18 years. Six verbs (buy, have, understand, ignore, hate, avoid) served as independent variables in conditional tasks consisting of two premises. The results which are statistically, highly significant, show an effect due to the verb depending upon the logical form of the task (2I = 86.1, df= 30). indicate that certain semantic characteristics implicit in verbs determine the way in which a reasoning task is interpreted.
A second experiment investigated why verbs differ in this way. Interviews were carried out with subjects using the verbs ‘buy’ and ‘ignore’. It is suggested that implicit meanings acquired through processes of social attribution play an essential role in verbal reasoning. In the present case, such attributions concern the depositional and episodic character of verbs and appear to be responsible for the interpretation of the premises of our tasks. It is concluded that any logical model aiming at an adequate representation of language in reasoning must take these implicit social attributions into account.