Two hundred forty eight adolescents from grades 6 and 8 were given a proportional reasoning task and a battery of eight cognitive style, ability, and attitude measures. The problems in the proportional reasoning task varied in referential content and numerical structure. The cognitive ability and style dimensions examined consisted of: Crystallized intelligence, fluid intelligence, field dependency, divergent thinking, visualization ability, and M capacity. An age x sex x content x structure ANOVA found a significant main effect only for numerical structure. A significant age x sex x content interaction was also found. A simultaneous model multiple regression found a significant effect for only fluid ability, M capacity, and divergent thinking when the other variables were held constant.
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