DETECTING BIMODALITY IN THE ANALOGICAL REASONING PERFORMANCE OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOLCHILDREN

This paper reports on modelling six frequency distributions representi ng the analogical reasoning performance of four different samples of e lementary schoolchildren. A two-component model outperformed a one-com ponent model in all investigated data sets, discriminating accurate pe rformers with high success probabilities and inaccurate performers wit h low success probabilities, whereas for two data sets a three-compone nt model provided the best fit. In a treatment-control group data set, the treatment group comprised a larger proportion of accurate perform ers than the control group, whereas the success probabilities of the t wo latent classes were nearly identical in both groups. In a repeated- measures data set, both the success probabilities of the two latent cl asses and the proportion of accurate performers increased from the fir st to the second test session. The results provided a first indication of a transition in the development of analogical reasoning in element ary schoolchildren.