Measuring combinatorial logic with materials from three disciplines.

Abstract

The results of the study were consistent with the following propositions: (1) The existence or nonexistence of the inhibitor element in combinatorial logic tasks does not have any significant effect on the subjects' performance level. (2) Subjects completing a combinatorial logic task in the area of their expertise perform significantly better than the subjects completing the same combinatorial logic tasks which is not in their area of expertise. (3) The expertise background of the subjects makes no significant difference in their performances on the content-free combinatorial logic tasks.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the content of Piagetian formal tasks upon subjects' cognitive performance level in the area of combinatorial logic. The cognitive levels of two groups of students were measured by a battery of four of five combinatorial logics tasks with different content. One of the tasks was considered as a task with content in the area of expertise of one group and in the area of non-expertise of the other group. The other four tasks were considered to be content-free. One of the content-free tasks was a valid derivative of Piaget's chemical combinations task called the Electronics Task (ET). In the chemical task a chemical that inhibits the reaction is used and such an inhibitor is also on the ET. Two of the four tasks referred to above were the ET, one with an inhibitor switch and one without.

It was concluded that tasks with content in the major area of expertise allow the subjects to demonstrate their maximum formal thought capability. If such tasks were not available, then measurement of formal reasoning abilities should be made by content-free tasks.

Specific questions addressed in this study included: (1) What effect does an inhibitor element in combinatorial logic tasks have on the subjects' performance level? (2) How does the element of the content of the combinatorial logic tasks influence the subjects' performance level?