COGNITIVE BASIS OF ANALOGICAL REASONING: VERIFICATION OF THE NONLINEAR AND PARALLEL MODEL OF REASONING

Robert Sternberg's model of analogical reasoning assumes the sequential nature of cognitive components underlying analogy solution. Also, it does not take into account the individual parameters of working memory and attention which seem to influence both the process of analogical reasoning. Trying to avoid these faults, a non-linear and parallel model of analogical reasoning was outlined, which included two formal parameters of the cognitive system's functioning: (1) parallel versus sequential organization of information processing and (2) linear versus non-linear allocation of attentional resources. Obtained results showed that efficiency of analogical reasoning is related to capacity of working memory and amount of attentional resources, and associated with organization of information processing. Allocation of mental resources is non-linear, i.e. dynamically changing with the task demands and is strictly linked to specificity of analogical reasoning components: encoding is rather data-limited whereas inference and mapping are resources-limited processes. The results appear to corroborate a compensational role of organization of information processing in relation to selective attention and working memory functioning