3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item The relationship between analogical problem solving and analogical reasoning(2019) Israel, NicoleAnalogical problem solving occurs when a previously acquired source solution strategy is retrieved and applied to an isomorphic target problem based on shared structural correspondences. In addition to being seen as an effective and frequently implemented heuristic strategy, it also plays a vital role in facilitating creative thinking and learning and is widely utilised as a key instructional mechanism in a range of teaching contexts. Despite its clear importance, empirical evidence regarding the links between analogical problem solving and a range of other factors, including those located within the individual problem solver, remains limited. This includes the nature of the associations between analogical problem solving as a heuristic strategy and other forms of reasoning using analogy. As such, there is a need for further research that serves to clarify and extend conceptual understandings of these relationships and to identify predictive patterns; this could contribute meaningfully to both theory development and application. The focus of the current study was thus to explore the associative and predictive links between analogical problem solving and different forms of analogical reasoning in the South African context. More specifically, the study examined solution rates for two different forms of analogical problem solving (directed and open analogical transfer) as well as the associations between these and verbal and non-verbal analogical reasoning, heuristic strategy preference (including preference for an analogical approach), and several demographic variables (gender, home language, type of schooling, and socioeconomic status). Predictive models with each form of analogical transfer as the outcome variable were also created. The design of the study was quantitative, nonexperimental, correlational, and cross-sectional, and the data was collected using a series of tasks and self-report measures designed to capture the constructs of interest. Following piloting, a final sample of six-hundred and fifty-eight undergraduate university students was obtained for the main study. Statistical analyses were used to address the research questions; these included one-way ANOVAs, t-tests, Chi-squared tests of association, and logistic regression. The results obtained from the analyses suggested that rates of analogical transfer in the South African context were slightly lower than those typically observed internationally; a significant and positive relationship between the two forms of analogical transfer assessed in the study was also identified. Analogical problem solving was found to be significantly, positively, and weakly associated with analogical reasoning, and was unrelated to a preference for utilising analogy as a heuristic strategy. A number of important distinctions in analogical transfer performance on the basis of the various demographic variables were also identified. Taken together, these findings provide a unique and novel set of insights into the phenomenon of analogical problem solving; their implications augment existing theory and serve as a base for innovative future work in the field.Item Raven's advanced progressive matrices within a South African context(2006-11-14T12:26:28Z) Israel, NicoleThe issue of bias, whether a psychological test measures what it claims to measure similarly across different groups, remains a fundamental concern within the field of psychometrics, particularly within South Africa, where a history riddled with oppression, discrimination and malpractice in the area has led to suspicion, mistrust and legislation banning the use of many psychological tests as invalid and unfair (Foxcroft & Roodt, 2001; Murphy & Davidshofer, 2001; Nell, 1999). There is thus clearly a need for additional and more detailed investigations of the way specific individual tests function in the South African context. This study attempted to creatively examine systematic differences in performance on one specific test, the Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM), on the basis of home language and gender, factors seldom investigated in the literature. A sample of one hundred Psychology first-year students completed a demographic questionnaire, the RAPM, the Similarities sub-test of the South African Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales (SAWAIS) and an adapted version of the Reading Comprehension subtest of the Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test (SDRT). The data gathered was then utilized to explore four main research questions. Firstly, in order to establish construct comparability, the relationship between the RAPM and a more verbally-oriented measure of g, the Similarities sub-test of the SAWAIS, was assessed. Results indicated a relatively strong positive relationship between the two measures (r = 0.66), and no significant differences between the correlations on the basis of either gender or home language. Secondly, in order to explore the relationship between the RAPM and English comprehension, the study assessed the relationship between overall, literal and inferential scores on an adapted version of the Reading Comprehension sub-test of the SDRT and the RAPM. Results indicated only a moderate relationship between the two tests (r = 0.65), no difference in the relationship between RAPM performance and literal comprehension or inferential comprehension, and no difference in the relationship between the two tests on the basis of either gender or home language. Thirdly, in order to establish whether items were found to be difficult in a similar way across the different gender and home language groups, p-values and regression lines were calculated. These indicated that significant differences in level of item difficulty were experienced between English and African language speakers, although no differences were apparent in item difficulty on the basis of gender. 5 Lastly, in order to establish whether qualitative differences in performance on the basis of ability (as estimated by performance on the RAPM), gender or language existed, a discrimination analysis examining the types of errors made by each group was performed. Repeated measures ANOVAs and multiple comparison post-hoc analyses revealed significant differences in the types of errors made on the basis of ability and home language, but not gender. The post-hoc analyses suggested that those of higher ability or first language English speakers were more likely to make incomplete correlate errors, while those of lower ability or speaking African first languages were more likely to make confluence of ideas errors. In general, the findings of the study seemed to suggest that the RAPM, while not biased on the basis of gender, might contain a deep-seated language bias despite their non-verbal presentation.