Effects of Reading Comprehension on Conditional Reasoning from Connected Prose Passages

Abstract

Summary A conditional reasoning test and a reading comprehension test were administered to 300 Ss in Grades 5 through 8. Each item on the conditional reasoning test consisted of (a) a prose passage containing the premises of a two-premise deductive argument embodying a basic principle of conditional reasoning and (b) a question that called for a judgment about a conclusion drawn from these premises. Analyses of correct responses for the conditional reasoning test showed that grade level, level of reading comprehension, and principle of conditional reasoning each had a significant influence on Ss' performance. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for the teaching of reading comprehension and the assessment of Ss' propositional reasoning abilities.