法則学習における「験証」法の効果

Abstract

Although it is generally accepted that human reasoning can be described as either inductive or deductive processes, this study proposes a new method of rule learning based on Popper's idea of “corroboration” as human reasoning process.“Corroboration” is defined as an application of a hypothesis (rule), which was induced from a few examples, to new examples in order to confirm the validity of the hypothesis. In two experiments, 170 undergraduates read one of three materials describing an unfamiliar mathematical rule and its examples. Each material embodied one of three processes i. e., inductive, deductive, or “corroborative” processes. In the results, those who read the “corroborative” material were better than others in three aspects:(1) They had more confidence that the rule was correct.(2) Their motivation for the application of the rule to other examples was well satisfied.(3) They could recall the rule better even a week later.