Date of Award

Summer 2008

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Psychology

Program/Concentration

Psychology

Committee Director

Ivan K. Ash

Committee Member

Louis Janda

Committee Member

Mark W. Scerbo

Call Number for Print

Special Collections LD4331.P65 C6539 2008

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test the predictions of existing theories of syllogistic reasoning performance as they relate to working memory. One-hundred and twenty undergraduate students from Old Dominion University completed a working memory span test and evaluated 92 conclusions for possible, multiple model syllogisms. Participants were randomly assigned to either a validity or possibility reasoning task. The mean syllogistic performance scores and mean reaction times were compared across the two groups. Working memory span scores were added as a covariate to determine if there were differences in working memory and performance correlations between the two groups. Analyses revealed a 3-way interaction in which problem-solving rate moderates the degree to which working memory span predicts reasoning performance. Fast solvers' performance was not correlated with working memory capacity, while slow solvers' performance was correlated with working memory span. The possibility manipulation suppressed these effects so that working memory span did not predict performance. Instead these solvers tended to choose the "possible" choice instead of the "necessary" choice. A new theory of deductive reasoning performance should take into account that people may be using different strategies based on their solving times.

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In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

DOI

10.25777/ysbp-r568

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