Information-Processing Demands of Transitive Inference

The information-processing demands of transitive inference problems were investigated with a probe reaction-time (RT) secondary task. Two versions of a primary task were used: the standard three-term inference problem and a matched verification task that did not require premise integration. In the first two experiments the premise and target-matching components of the primary task were presented sequentially. For the transitive inference task, probe RT was especially slow when the probe occurred during the second premise phase, but no such effect was found with the matched verification task. This implies that premise integration imposed an increased load on processing resources. A third experiment showed that the processing demand associated with premise integration also occurred with simultaneous presentation. Other variations in problem form (e.g., premise markedness, negation, and pivot search) did not influence probe RT, although they are known to affect solution time. Thus, solution time and measures of processing load may be independent.

[1]  The mystery of the “negative equative” construction , 1970 .

[2]  Stephen J. Boies,et al.  Components of attention. , 1971 .

[3]  P. Johnson-Laird.  The three-term series problem ☆ , 1972 .

[4]  B. Kerr,et al.  Processing demands during mental operations , 1973, Memory & cognition.

[5]  M. Posner,et al.  On the functions of consciousness , 1973 .

[6]  D. Kahneman,et al.  Attention and Effort , 1973 .

[7]  D. Meyer,et al.  Attention and Performance XIV , 1973 .

[8]  D. Godden,et al.  An Investigation of the Relationships between Problem Solving Strategies, Representation and Memory , 1974 .

[9]  G. R. Potts,et al.  The internal representation of a three-term series problem , 1975 .

[10]  B. Fellows,et al.  'Perceptual' strategies in the solving of three term series problems. , 1975 .

[11]  Barbara Tversky,et al.  Pictorial Encoding of Sentences in Sentence—Picture Comparison , 1975 .

[12]  W. Kintsch,et al.  Memory and cognition , 1977 .

[13]  C. Collyer,et al.  The development of transitive inference: a review of recent approaches. , 1978, Psychological bulletin.

[14]  Earl Hunt,et al.  Individual Differences in the Verification of Sentence-Picture Relationships , 1978 .

[15]  Robert J Glushko,et al.  Spatial comprehension and comparison processes in verification tasks , 1978, Cognitive Psychology.

[16]  Robert J. Sternberg.  A Proposed Resolution of Curious Conflicts in the Literature on Linear Syllogisms. , 1978 .

[17]  P McLeod,et al.  Does Probe RT Measure Central Processing Demand? , 1978, The Quarterly journal of experimental psychology.

[18]  J. Ormrod.  Cognitive processes in the solution of three-term series problems. , 1979, The American journal of psychology.

[19]  D Goodman,et al.  On the coordination of two-handed movements. , 1979, Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance.

[20]  R. Sternberg.  Representation and Process in Linear Syllogistic Reasoning. , 1980 .

[21]  Earl Hunt,et al.  Strategy choice and strategy training in sentence—picture verification , 1980 .

[22]  G. Halford,et al.  A category theory approach to cognitive development , 1980, Cognitive Psychology.

[23]  R. Sternberg.  The development of linear syllogistic reasoning , 1980 .

[24]  G. Claxton.  Cognitive psychology: New directions , 1980 .

[25]  M. G. Eley,et al.  Distinguishing imagery from propositional recoding processes in sentence-picture verification tasks. , 1981, Canadian journal of psychology.

[26]  L. Breslow.  Reevaluation of the Literature on the Development of Transitive Inferences. , 1981 .

[27]  R. Sternberg.  Advances in the psychology of human intelligence , 1982 .

[28]  E. Hunt,et al.  Individual differences in secondary task performance , 1982, Memory & cognition.

[29]  Graeme S. Halford,et al.  The Development of Thought , 1982 .

[30]  Graeme S. Halford,et al.  Does a concurrent memory load interfere with reasoning? , 1984 .

[31]  G. Logan.  On the ability to inhibit thought and action , 1984 .

[32]  R. Guttentag,et al.  The mental effort requirement of cumulative rehearsal: A developmental study. , 1984 .

[33]  John Jonides,et al.  Maintenance rehearsal: a two-component analysis , 1984 .

[34]  G. Halford.  Can young children integrate premises in transitivity and serial order tasks? , 1984, Cognitive Psychology.

[35]  D. Navon.  Resources—a theoretical soup stone? , 1984 .