REASONING BY ANALOGY - IS IT SCHEMA-MEDIATED OR CASE-BASED

One of the ''classical'' ways of learning consists of studying example s of already solved problems. In two experiments, we analyzed the degr ee of abstraction of the knowledge used by ninth grade students to sol ve algebra problems after studying worked examples. The results showed that there are two processes underlying reasoning by analogy, one tha t uses abstract knowledge and another that involves case-based reasoni ng. Both experiments pointed out interindividual differences in the po pulation under study: when given examples, some subjects seem to extra ct the structure of the solving process by comparing the worked exampl es, while others focus more on the specifics of each example. To these two processes correspond two levels of transfer: correctly solve prob lems that have the same structure as the examples, regardless of how s imilar they are, or be better at solving problems that resemble the ex amples the most. Experiment 2 used a dual-task paradigm to show that s ome subjects implement both processes, in which case th mental load is greater. This experiment also showed that both processes can lead to the long-term acquisition of the principles behind the examples.