DÉPENDANCE-INDÉPENDANCE À L'ÉGARD DU CHAMP ET RÉSOLUTION DE SYLLOGISMES LINÉAIRES*

A formal analysis of a set of linear syllogisms led the author to a definition of two factors involved in the construction of these syllogisms: (a) a logical factor linking the two premises (I, identical relation; R, reciprocal relation), (b) a linguistic factor concerning the formulation of the premises (affirmative or negative propositions). Thirty-six French adolescents were given a set of 48 problems in which the logical and the linguistic factors were combined in the same proportion. These subjects were of equal ability with regard to the functioning of the formal operatory systems, but of different abilities with respect to field dependence–independence. The results show a significant correlation between latencies and field dependence–independence. The analysis of this correlation leads to the conclusion that the restructuration processes worked more slowly in the dependent subjects than in the independent subjects. It appears from the analysis of the results that the differences observed in the subjects' reasoning processes may be interpreted in terms of mobility of intellectual operations.