This research was designed to explore the nature of reasoning. In
general, three categories of theories about reasoning (the inferential rule
approach, the mental models approach, and the operational constructive
approach) are used to explain reasoning. In this research, a simple transitivity
of length task was selected as the experimental vehicle to explore these
approaches for their veracity. Each approach was assessed for spatial and
linguistic conditions which might influence reasoning about transitive length
relations. The length difference under consideration in the reasoning task, the
order in which the premise statements about the length differences were
presented and the linguistic relational term used to describe the length
difference were selected as the experimental variables. Three measures of
reasoning about transitive length relations were assessed: judgements,
judgements-plus-justifications, and necessity understanding.
A between-within factorial, cross-sectional design was employed. The
order of the premise statements (optimal/control) was manipulated as the
experimental between-subjects factor. The two experimental within-subjects
factors, length difference (large/small) and linguistic relational term
(“longer”/”shorter”), were fully crossed and counterbalanced. Ninety-six
preschool and school-age children, evenly divided by gender and age (5-6
years, 7-8 years, 9-10 years), participated in the study.
The developmental character of transitive reasoning in the age range
studied was confirmed for two of the three measures of reasoning. More
failures of judgement were observed when a large length difference was
matched with the linguistic relational term “longer” and when a small length
difference was matched with the linguistic relational term “shorter” than when
the length differences and relational terms were mismatched. The arrangement
of the premise figure did indirectly influence any measure of transitive
reasoning but a large length difference in combination with the control premise
figure was found to increase the frequency of transitive judgements-plus
justifications.
It is concluded from the analysis of the findings of this research that
transitive reasoning about length is likely to result from constructive processes,
rather then from application of logical rules. However, it is unclear whether the
constructive processes in question are best explained in terms of cognitive
operations or in terms of figurative mental models.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/2958 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Drummond, Jane Elizabeth |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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