Information gathering in diagnostic problem solving as a function of number of alternative solutions

Three groups of 12 Ss each were given 6 successive problems with 8, 16, or 32 possible solutions from which they were to determine the unique solution by getting information concerning as few elements of a pattern of 8 binary elements as possible. All groups then did 2 problems with 32 possible answers. Number of information getting moves and time to solution were an increasing linear function of number of possible solutions. There were no differences among groups with respect to type of information getting move selected or in transfer to the last two problems.