Adults with accordance to age norms are supposed to be efficient in using conceptual thinking for understanding of ambiguity. However, there is a growing body of research reporting the lack of conceptual reasoning in healthy adults (Osorina et al., 2011; Shcherbakova, 2012; Makarova, Shcherbakova, 2015). We aimed to reveal the role psychometric IQ and conceptual abilities play in understanding fables’ as verbal ambiguous texts. We supposed that IQ and conceptual abilities both contribute to comprehension of fables’ gists.
We designed 3 triads of fables. In each triad, two fables had a similar gist, whereas the third one was interfering: it had just a formal plot resemblance with one of the first two. We tested 1) the depth of each single text’s comprehension; 2) whether a participant could operate previously identified metaphorical sense of single fables as a criteria for solving an analogues task (fables pairing).
Participants (n = 31; aged 17 – 46) interpreted nine fables within a semi-structured in-depth interview (mean time = 90 min). They were also asked to pair any 2 out of each triad. Interpretation of each fable was scored 0, 1 or 2 depending on whether it was concrete (based on pre-conceptual thinking operations) or generalized (based on conceptual thinking operations). Each pairing based on fables’ essential characteristics (gists) was scored 1. To test the psychometric intelligence we used SPMT. The conceptual abilities were assessed with «Generalization of Three Words» (GW), «Concept Synthesis» (CS) and «Imagery Interlocutor» (ImInt) tests (Kholodnaya, 2012).
The results show no correlation between comprehension of each single fable and correct pairing of the fables with similar gists (Kruskall-Wallis test, p > 0,05). In order to reveal the extent to which psychometric intelligence and conceptual abilities influence the comprehension depth we used multiple regression analysis. The sum of the scores for comprehension in all three triads was a dependent variable and the independent variables were scores for GW, CS, ImInt and SPMT. The score for ImInt turned up to be the only variable influencing the comprehension depth: r = 0,624, r² = 0,390, p = 0,001, what means that 39% of the variance of fables comprehension efficiency can be explained by differences in conceptual abilities underlying the capability to explain word meaning. Kruskal – Wallis test was used to compare the groups of participants who paired fables correctly (on the basis of their gists) in 0, 1, 2 or 3 sets. Only one correlation has been found: participants who paired the fables with regards to their essential characteristics (gists) were more successful in solving the tasks of ImInt (mean rangs 4,00; 6,40; 14,12; 24;00; p= 0,032).
The results of this study rise the questions about a) the cognitive essence of thinking processes underlying the comprehension of ambiguity and whether they can be revealed with the existing psychometric tools; b) the relevance of the traditional views on psychometric intelligence as a predictor of general cognitive efficiency.
The research was supported by the grant № МК-7507.2016.6.
Cognition and Attention , Measurement and Psychometrics , Reasoning and Rationality
