Functional and structural analysis of logic problem-solving: from empirical verification lo educational application

Abstract

The functional analysis of a complex logical problem solving, and its empirical control in a pre-post experimental design involving primary school children is presented. The phase of the logical problem solving sequence analysed was, of course, the second one: altering the situation until a reinforceable response occurs. The algorithms of the altering-the-situation phase allowing to make overt the covert behaviors appropriate for solving the problem, were concerned with deduction and induction processes, critical to reach the correct solution. 64 children, attending primary school classes, participated to a splitplot experimental design 2 (age) x 2 (treatment conditions) x 3 (experimental phases). Equipped during the training phase with the algorithms -a set of steps that can be applied to any similar situation- the experimental subjects of both the age levels began able to solve new classes of problems, significantly better than their control peers.