Question

In Wasons 1968 "Reasoning about a rule" article,

Describe ALL the dependent variables for all the experiments:

1. Provide an operational definition
2. Name the units it was measured in

Describe ALL the independent variables for all the experiments:

3. Name each variable
4. List its levels
5. State the statistical test(s) that was/were used to analyze the data
6. If there are more than one independent variable, state the factorial design

Answer 1

Definition ' if a card has a vowel on one side, it must have an even number on the other side'

Its a logic test developed by peter Wason's

It's practically based on Wason's 4 card selection Task

The units it was measured in is 'P' and 'Q'

and the task is this; which card or cards must be turned over to determine whether or not the rule has been followed.

A K 2 7  

So basically, you must turn over cards which can guarantee whether this rule is true or false

we have to think about it .....

so correct answer is ..the cards which must be turned over are A and 7

These are the two cards that must be turned over to assess whether or not the rule has been followed.

Statistical tests;...Various studies have shown extremely poor results for tasks like this, in which only 4% of participants get the correct answer. The most common wrong answer being A and 2

again the rule is VOWEL and EVEN NUMBER

So the first card A this is the most obvious and virtually all participants correctly conclude that this card must be turned over . because of course, if there is an odd number on the opposite side, the rule has been broken.

Now the next card, the K card, is an irrelevant card, which cannot give us any information.

If we turn it over and it's an odd number, that's fine. If we turn it over and its even number ..that's also fine.

This rule is just an 'if, then' statement . or it can be written as 'P' therefore 'Q' in which Pis the antecedent, and Q is the consequent. P is ANTECEDENT and Q is CONSEQUENT

P, not P Q not Q

A K 2 7

So P would be a vowel.

not P would be a consonant.

Q would be an even number.

and not Q would be an odd number.

These can be into two types of reasoning - inductive reasoning, and deductive reasoning.