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Hierarchial relationships among formal cognitive structures and their relationship to principled moral reasoning
Author(s) -
Zeidler Dana L.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal of research in science teaching
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.067
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1098-2736
pISSN - 0022-4308
DOI - 10.1002/tea.3660220508
Subject(s) - psychology of reasoning , moral reasoning , probabilistic logic , psychology , variance (accounting) , verbal reasoning , cognition , deductive reasoning , analytic reasoning , interdependence , analogical reasoning , reasoning system , inductive reasoning , adaptive reasoning , epistemology , cognitive science , model based reasoning , artificial intelligence , computer science , social psychology , knowledge representation and reasoning , sociology , analogy , social science , philosophy , business , accounting , neuroscience
Measurements of formal reasoning and principled moral reasoning ability were obtained from a sample of 99 tenth grade students. Specific modes of formal reasoning (proportional reasoning, controlling variables, probabilistic, correlational, and combinatorial reasoning) were first examined. Findings support the notion of hierarchical relationships which exist among those variables. Further results from factor analysis provide evidence that the variables represent specific cognitive structures that are interdependent with each other and precede operations in development. Finally, significant relationships were found to exist between the different modes of formal reasoning and principled moral reasoning. Combinatorial and correlational reasoning were found to significantly account for 22% of the variance in principled moral reasoning. Theoretical and educational implications are discussed.