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INTERROGATIVE STRATEGIES: COGNITIVE AND AGE-RELATED ASPECTS OF ACQUISITION (MODELING, IMITATION, PROBLEM-SOLVING)
Abstract
The present study examined the efficacy of modeling techniques for enhancing the use of constraint-seeking interrogative strategies by children. The sample consisted of 114 children at two age levels (six and one half to seven and one-half, and ten and one-half to eleven and one-half years of age). The subjects were randomly assigned to one of three modeling conditions or the control group. The modeling conditions differed in the amount and type of modeled information presented in the audiotape format. The desired response was to solve a twenty questions task with a constraint-seeking, categorical questioning approach using a pictorial array. The treatment levels were as follows: (1) a low information level that provided exemplary modeling only, (2) an intermediate information level that provided exemplary modeling and task specific cognitive explanations, (3) a high information level that provided exemplary modeling, task specific cognitive explanations as well as abstract, rule-based process explanations for the responses, and (4) a control level that provided a simple description of the array that contained no modeling of problem solving behavior. Two dependent variables were examined, the percent of constraint-seeking questions asked and the mean number of questions asked by each subject. A MANOVA yielded a significant treatment main effect for the set of dependent variables. The main effect for age was significant for the constraint-seeking questions dependent variable only. The treatment by age interaction was not significant. These results are generally consistent with previous studies and consistent with expectations. Debriefing data suggested that the ability of subjects to verbalize the general rule or strategy used for solving the task was significantly different for the two age groups. No significant differences in strategy verbalization were found among the treatment groups. Lastly, a significant difference was found among the two age groups in terms of self-reported experience with a twenty question type of task. The implications of the findings regarding educational practices, school psychology, and future research are discussed.
Subject Area
Educational psychology
Recommended Citation
JOHNSON, KATHLEEN MARGARET, "INTERROGATIVE STRATEGIES: COGNITIVE AND AGE-RELATED ASPECTS OF ACQUISITION (MODELING, IMITATION, PROBLEM-SOLVING)" (1984). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI8503431.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI8503431