Department of Health Sciences Faculty Articles
Scientists and the Selection Task
Document Type
Article
Publisher
Sage Publications Ltd.
ISSN
0306-3127
Publication Date
5-1986
Keywords
Selection Task, Disconfirmatory Data, Assessing Conditionals, Confirmatory Data, Problem Content, Memory-Cueing, Reasoning-By-Analogy
Abstract
Contrary to some recent findings reported in this journal by Tweney and Yachanin, the results for twenty scientists on the selection task reflected little understanding of the power of disconfirmatory data in assessing conditionals. In agreement with previous studies by Mahoney and Kimper, and by Kern, Mirels and Hinshaw, confirmatory data were sought more often. The results indicate that scientists' performance is similar to that of undergraduates, mainly influenced by the problem content, and do not support Tweney and Yachanin's claim of scientists' competence on the selection task. Memory-cueing plus reasoning-by-analogy is offered as an alternative explanation.
DOI
10.1177/0306312786016002007
Volume
16
Issue
2
First Page
319
Last Page
330
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
NSUWorks Citation
Griggs, Richard A. and Ransdell, Sarah Ellen PhD, "Scientists and the Selection Task" (1986). Department of Health Sciences Faculty Articles. 230.
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hpd_hs_facarticles/230
