INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES IN ANALOGICAL PROBLEM-SOLVING

Five studies are reported whose aim was to assess whether in undergrad uates analogical transfer of a solution strategy from a source story t o an isomorphic target problem in a different domain is associated wit h individual differences in reasoning ability, cognitive style, academ ic curricula, and gender. In Study 1 there were no relationships betwe en analogical problem solving and Raven's Progressive Matrices. Study 2 showed that field-independent subjects were more likely to be analog ical solvers than field-dependent subjects. Study 3 failed to support the notion of a link between analogical transfer and right-left and ve rbal-visual styles of thinking. There was evidence that rates of analo gical solutions were higher in adaptors than in innovators (Study 4) a nd in bio-medical than in humanities students (Study 5). Males tended to give analogical solutions more frequently than females. Results sug gest that cognitive styles, rather than abilities, are involved in ana logical problem solving.