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STRUCTURE AND CONTENT IN CONCEPT ATTAINMENT: EFFECTS OF VARYING PROBLEM CONTENT
Author(s) -
WETHERICK N. E.
Publication year - 1967
Publication title -
british journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.536
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8295
pISSN - 0007-1269
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8295.1967.tb01077.x
Subject(s) - psychology , content (measure theory) , task (project management) , hebrew , cognitive psychology , simple (philosophy) , social psychology , linguistics , epistemology , mathematics , mathematical analysis , philosophy , management , economics
Three equivalent forms of a concept‐attainment task were employed on the hypothesis that both unfamiliar problem content (Hebrew letters) and relatively familiar problem content (simple verbal descriptions), which however exposed the problems to proactive interference from individual preconceptions, prejudices, etc., would have the effect of reducing the efficiency with which problems were solved by comparison with neutral problem content (English letters). The second part of the hypothesis was supported but not the first. Young, intelligent subjects may operate as easily with unfamiliar as with familiar symbols, though real verbal content significantly increases the difficulty of the task for them; but this possibility requires confirmation by a more fully balanced experiment.