To study the effect of modeling on flexibility in problem solving, 67 male and 74 female college students were randomly assigned to 5 treatment groups: 3 modeling groups, which observed a model solving anagrams in a flexible or rigid manner, and 2 control groups. The results showed that Ss who observed a model solving anagrams in a variety of ways solved anagrams in a more varied manner than Ss in the other conditions. Further, all the modeling groups solved anagrams more flexibly than the two control groups.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AckermanW. I.LevinH.Effects of training in alternative solutions on subsequent problem solving. Journal of Educational Psychology, 1958, 49, 239–244.
2.
AdamsonR.Inhibitory set in problem solving as related to reinforcement learning. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1959, 58, 280–282.
3.
BanduraA.Principles of behavior modification. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1969.
4.
BanduraA.HarrisM. B.Modification of syntactic style. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 1966, 4, 341–352.
GibbonsD.Set breaking as a learned response. Psychological Reports, 1965, 17, 203–208.
9.
HarrisM. B.HassemerW. G.Some factors affecting the complexity of children's sentences: The effects of modeling, age, sex and bilingualism. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 1972, 13, 447–455.
10.
JensenJ.On the Einstellung effect in problem solving; some critical remarks. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 1960, 1, 163–168.
11.
JuolaJ.Effects of overtraining on the establishment of mental set in anagram solving. Psychonomic Science, 1967, 9, 539–540.
12.
KrechevskyI.Hypotheses in rats. Psychological Review, 1932, 39, 516–532.
13.
LuchinsA. S.LuchinsE. H.New attempts at preventing mechanization in problem solving. Journal of General Psychology, 1950, 42, 279–297.
14.
LuchinsA. S.LuchinsE. H.Einstellung effect in social learning. Journal of Social Psychology, 1961, 55, 59–66.
15.
MaierN. R. F.Reasoning in humans: On direction. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 1930, 10, 115–143.
16.
ReesH. J.IsraelH. E.An investigation of the establishment and operation of mental sets. Psychological Monographs, 1935, 46, No. 210.
17.
RosenbaumM. E.ArensonS. J.Einstellung by observation. Psychological Reports, 1967, 21, 345–352.
18.
RosenthalT. L.AlfordG. S.RaspL. M.Concept attainment, generalization, and retention through observation and verbal coding. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 1972, 13, 183–194.
19.
RosenthalT. L.HeetzL.Effects of minimal models on inkblot percepts. Australian Journal of Psychology, in press.
20.
RosenthalT. L.ZimmermanB. J.Instructional specificity and outcome expectation in observationally induced question formation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 1972, 63, 500–504.
21.
RosenthalT. L.ZimmermanB. J.Modeling by exemplification and instruction in training conservation. Developmental Psychology, 1972, 6, 392–401.
22.
RosenthalT. L.ZimmermanB. J.DurningK.Observationally induced changes in children's interrogative classes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1970, 16, 681–688.
