A multitrait-multimethod study collected measures of social-cognitive flexibility, crystallized social knowledge, and academic problem solving from 169 high school seniors. Results support a division of social-cognitive intelligence into declarative and procedural social knowledge (crystallized) and flexible knowledge application as distinct from…

An Australian comparison study of 26 children (mean age=10) with mild intellectual disabilities, 26 typical children of approximately the same mental age, and 26 children of approximately the same chronological age, found no mean differences on problem-solving abilities between the children with intellectual disabilities and children of comparable…

Effects of author-generated and learner-generated elaborations on subjects' abilities to recall, classify, and apply conceptual knowledge were compared for 94 college undergraduates studying a passage on psychological concepts. Author-generated elaborations and specific elaboration activities produced superior effects in comparison with…

Investigated whether consultees' problem definition skills could be enhanced by increasing their awareness of processes during consultation. Assigned undergraduates (N=195) to consultation with or without cognitive modeling or to control group. Results revealed that subjects in cognitive modeling group wrote better problem definitions and were…

The purpose of this study was to develop a procedure for the evaluation of M-demand of chemistry problems. It was shown that dimensional analysis upon the Neo-Piagetian theory of Pascual-Leone could help science teachers to understand the epistemological basis of their discipline. (CW)

Assessments of (n=16) year 9 and 10 advanced mathematics students while they solved mathematics problems indicated that the nature of the problem was a basic factor in determining the type of solution strategy used. Strategies were broadly classified into Ikonic or Concrete Symbolic categories. (31 references) (MKR)

Presents results of a qualitative study of problem solving in the domain of instructional design. Novice and expert instructional designers worked on a "think aloud" design task, and their instruction protocols were analyzed for problem-solving processes. Analysis revealed that experts and novices used divergent design models and…

Subjects (n=156) completed the Kirton Adaptation-Innovation Inventory as well as Guilford's Consequences and Alternate Uses tests. Compared to adaptors, innovators produced a higher number of uncommon responses on the Consequences test and produced more responses on the Alternate Uses test. Results are discussed with reference to the distinction…

Two hypotheses derived from the theory of action identification, which predicts that people are more likely to adopt a novel course of action if they concentrate on the "how" rather than the "why" aspects of their behavior, were tested with 95 undergraduate students. Hypotheses examined how the level of action identification…

Presents ongoing research for constructing formal models of learning in rich problem-solving domains. The underlying framework for the research is aimed at integrating models of active, goal-oriented learning processes with theories of problem-solving and cognitive skill development. Indicates that the particular self-explanation and…

Investigates the mathematical behavior of 30 college students in a problem situation that requires them to find the inverse of a given compound element in an environment of LOGO turtle graphics. Results from interviews indicate that, in searching for the inverse, students tend to invert the elements but not the order. (MDH)

Describes a study to determine middle school children's representational strategies to form part-whole or part-part relationships for relational numbers such as proportions, ratios, or fractions. Quantitative and qualitative analysis revealed that children prefer a part-part representation to solve relational quantity problems. (15 references)…

Presents a problem solving strategy developed by a second grade student that goes beyond modeling an intuitive or informal interpretation of an operation to solve division problems. Concludes that good teaching should build on pupil's existing preinstruction knowledge and recognize a pupil's attempts at creative solutions. (MDH)

Examines research literature and schematic models associated with the expert-novice model in cognitive psychology. Describes a model for rendering expertise in problem solving within economics. Reports that a preliminary study indicates that this model effectively rendered both expert and novice problem solving in economics. (CFR)

Discusses computer-based training (CBT) methods that emphasize an interactive learning environment but do not require video. Topics addressed include cognitive processes; different levels of interaction, including simulation or problem solving; the use of icons and buttons; hypertext; differences in learning styles; and thought-provoking…