Effects And Mechanism Of Schema Induction In Analogical Problem Solving

Analogical problem solving has become a prominent topic in the psychology of thinking at present, and schema induction in analogical problem solving is one of the focused aspects. However, research of past decades is not enough about the detailed processes of schema induction and the effects on analogical transfer of schema. The present study, by using a series of tasks analogous to Luchins' classical water jar problems and manipulating two dimensions of procedural features in problem solving: formula and quantity, explored the cognitive processes and psychological mechanism of schema induction in analogical problem solving.Two experiments had been designed to support this research. Participants were asked to solve a series of source problems and target problems in experiment 1. In order to examine the effects of formula and quantity, which is two dimensions of procedural features in analogical problem solving, the similarities of source and target problems were manipulated in experiment Experiment 2, all participants were provided three source problems, and the effects of schema induction along the two dimensions of formula and quantity in analogical problem solving were examined. Furthermore, the mechanism of schema induction affecting analogical problem solving in the condition of single variant dimension and two varying dimensions were explored. The results were as follows:...