Conclusion

Abstract

In the present study a model has been developed for the reasoning process with three-term series problems. The information in the three-term series is finally coded in unmarked form. That form is established gradually, depending on the syntactic complexity of the item. The comparative items are coded immediately in unmarked form. Syntactically more complex information, such as negative equative items, is not coded in unmarked form under high time stress. The processes are determined by syntactic surface factors such as the grammatical function of the new term. When more time is available, the information tends to be coded in unmarked form. The transformations into the unmarked form occur in the sequential order of the presentation of the information. With less time stress, the first proposition i s coded in unmarked form. When still more time is available to process the information, the second proposition is also coded in unmarked form.