Abstract
A review is given of the directions taken by research into Wason’s selection task in recent years. Two major developments are detailed: theoretical formulations based on non-logical constructs and their implications for previous models of task performance; and investigations of the effects of problem content on the solutions offered by subjects. In the latter case, current research indicates a complex relationship between problem structure, problem content, and subjects’ prior experience.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson, J.R. (1980). Cognitive Psychology and Its Implications. San Francisco: Freeman.
Bracewell, R.J. (1974). Interpretation factors in the four-card selection task. Paper presented at the Selection Task Conference, Trento, Italy.
Bracewell, R.J. & Hidi, S.E. (1974). The solution of an inferential problem as a function of stimulus materials. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 26, 355–359.
Braine, M.D.S. (1978). On the relation between the natural logic of implication and standard logic. Psychological Review, 85, 1–21.
Bree, D.S. & Coppens, G. (1976). The difficulty of an implication task. British Journal of Psychology, 67, 579–586.
Brown, C., Keats, J.A., Keats, D.M. & Seggie, I. (1980). Reasoning about implication; a comparison of Malaysian and Australian subjects. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 11, 395–410.
Ennis, R.H. (1976). An alternative to Piaget’s conception of logical competence. Child Development, 17, 903–919.
Erickson, J.R. & Jones, M.R. (1978). Thinking. Annual Review of Psychology, 29, 61–90.
Evans, J.StB.T. (1977). Toward a statistical theory of reasoning. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 29, 621–635.
Evans, J.StB.T. & Lynch, J.S. (1973). Matching bias in the selection task. British Journal of Psychology, 64, 391–397.
Evans, J.StB.T. & Wason, P.C. (1976). Rationalisation in a reasoning task. British Journal of Psychology, 67, 479–486.
Gilhooly, K.J. & Falconer, W.A. (1974). Concrete and abstract terms and relations in testing a rule. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 26, 355–359.
Golding, E. (1981). The effect of past experience on problem solving. Paper presented at the annual conference of the British Psychological Society, Surrey University, UK.
Goodwin, R.Q. & Wason, P.C. (1972). Degrees of insight. British Journal of Psychology, 63, 205–212.
Griggs, R.A. & Cox, J.R. (1982). The elusive thematic-materials effect in Wason’s selection task. British Journal of Psychology, in press.
Johnson-Laird, P.N. & Wason, P.C. (1970a). A theoretical analysis of insight into a reasoning task. Cognitive Psychology, 1, 134–148.
Johnson-Laird, P.N. & Wason, P.C. (1970b). Insight into a logical relation. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 22, 49–61.
Johnson-Laird, P.N., Legrenzi, P. & Legrenzi, M.S. (1972). Reasoning and a sense of reality. British Journal of Psychology, 63, 395–400.
Lunzer, E.A., Harrison, C. & Davey, M. (1972). The four-card problem and the generality of formal reasoning. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 24, 326–339.
Manktelow, K.I. (1979). The role of content in reasoning. Unpublished PhD thesis, CNAA, Plymouth Polytechnic, UK.
Manktelow, K.I. & Evans, J.StB.T. (1979). Facilitation of reasoning by realism: effect or non-effect? British Journal of Psychology, 70, 477–488.
Neimark, E.D. & Santa, J.L. (1975). Thinking and concept attainment. Annual Review of Psychology, 26, 173–205.
Pollard, P. (1981). The effect of thematic content on the ‘Wason selection task’. Current Psychological Research, 1, 21–29.
Pollard, P. & Evans, J.StB.T. (1981). The effects of prior beliefs in reasoning: an associational interpretation. British Journal of Psychology, 72, 73–81.
Rumelhart, D.E. (1979). Analogical processes and procedural representations. Center for Human Information Processing Report No. 81. La Jolla, CA: University of California, San Diego.
Scribner, S. (1977). Modes of thinking and ways of speaking: culture and logic reconsidered. Reprinted in P.N. Johnson-Laird & P.C. Wason (eds.), Thinking; Readings in Cognitive Science. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Smalley, N.S. (1974). Evaluating a rule against possible instances. British Journal of Psychology, 65, 293–304.
Van Duyne, P.C. (1974). Realism and linguistic complexity in reasoning. British Journal of Psychology, 65, 59–67.
Van Duyne, P.C. (1976). Necessity and contingency in reasoning. Acta Psychologica, 40, 85–101.
Wason, P.C. (1964). The effect of self-contradiction on fallacious reasoning. Reprinted in P.C. Wason & P.N. Johnson-Laird (eds.), Thinking and Reasoning. Harmondsworth: Penguin.
Wason, P.C. (1966). Reasoning. In B.M. Foss (ed.), New Horizons in Psychology, 1. Harmondsworth: Penguin.
Wason, P.C. (1968). Reasoning about a rule. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 20, 273–281.
Wason, P.C. (1969a). Structural simplicity and psychological complexity: some thoughts on a novel problem. Bulletin of the British Psychological Society, 22, 281–284.
Wason, P.C. (1969b). Regression in reasoning? British Journal of Psychology, 60, 471–480.
Wason, P.C. & Evans, J.StB.T. (1975). Dual processes in reasoning? Cognition, 3, 141–154.
Wason, P.C. & Golding, E. (1974). The language of inconsistency. British Journal of Psychology, 65, 537–546.
Wason, P.C. & Johnson-Laird, P.N. (1970). A conflict between selecting and evaluating information in an inferential task. British Journal of Psychology, 61, 509–515.
Wason, P.C. & Johnson-Laird, P.N. (1972). Psychology of Reasoning; Structure and Content. London: Batsford.
Wason, P.C. & Shapiro, D.A. (1971). Natural and contrived experience in a reasoning problem. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 23, 63–71.
Yachanin, S.A. (1980). Differential effects of thematic materials and order of rule presentation on a reasoning task. Unpublished Master’s thesis, Bowling Green State University, USA.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Manktelow, K.I. Recent developments in research on Wason’s selection task. Current Psychological Reviews 1, 257–268 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02684488
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02684488