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ON THE SIGN OF SLOPE IN THE LEARNING OF LINEAR FUNCTIONS
Author(s) -
Eisler Hannes,
Spolander Krister
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.743
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1467-9450
pISSN - 0036-5564
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9450.1970.tb00733.x
Subject(s) - sign (mathematics) , psychology , statistics , constant (computer programming) , function (biology) , group (periodic table) , linear relationship , value (mathematics) , mathematics , social psychology , mathematical analysis , physics , quantum mechanics , evolutionary biology , computer science , biology , programming language
Three groups of subjects were presented with pairs of values ( E and S ) of three different linear functions E = a+bS. In a test phase they had to indicate the E ‐values that corresponded to the S ‐values. The values were represented as distances marked on straight lines. Two groups, one a control group, had a positive slope, the third group a negative. The squared sum of the S‐E differences was kept constant. All groups had roughly the same performance as measured by the squared sum of deviations from empirical and correct E ‐values. The learning curves indicated, however, that some learning had taken place in the group with the negative slope. It was concluded that a principle rather than a function was learned.