Date of Award
4-1984
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. Dale Brethower
Second Advisor
Dr. Paul Mountjoy
Third Advisor
Dr. Norman Peterson
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
Thirty adult undergraduates and graduate students were placed in one of three quantitative information content groups. The Ss received either High, Medium or Low Information Content (IC) in a concept formation paradigm designed to study the types of problem solving strategies used by Ss under varying amounts of information content. High IC Ss produced the optimal strategy— focusing— sooner and more often than Medium or Low IC Ss. Medium IC Ss did better than low IC Ss. High IC Ss increased their use of focusing over trials, while Medium and Low IC Ss only used focusing intermittently. Medium and Low IC Ss used a non-optimal strategy called hypothesis checking more than any other strategy. There was more variability in performance among Low IC Ss than among High IC Ss. All Ss in High IC were using focusing consistently by the last four problems, while some Low IC Ss showed development of focusing and others did not.
Recommended Citation
Croke, Tony B., "The Effects of Quantitative Information Content on Selection Strategies in a Complex Concept Formation Design" (1984). Masters Theses. 1475.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/1475