One of the more controversial subjects in adolescent research is the ability of instruction to affect performance and ability of a formal operational task. This study investigated the ability of instruction to improve the development of conditional reasoning skills in younger adolescents. Participants (N= 61) were instructed in conditional reasoning utilizing two 50-minute question and answer periods and concrete materials. Adolescents in the rule group were given the conditional syllogism while adolescents in the discovery group were not given the syllogism until they had "discovered" the inherent syllogism based on concrete materials presented. Performance was measured prior to, immediately after, two weeks after, and six months following instruction. When compared to non-instructed children's performance (N = 32) instructed subjects made significant performance gains until the six month follow-up when performance reverted to pre-instruction levels. Implications include the interaction of instruction and reasoning development. Discussion centered on the attentional capacity and mental effort required in conditional reasoning.
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