Problem solving and comprehension

584 Pages·1999·3.12 MB·English

by  Arthur Whimbey

title: Problem Solving and Comprehension
author: Whimbey, Arthur.; Lochhead, Jack
publisher: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
isbn10 | asin: 0805832742
print isbn13: 9780805832747
ebook isbn13: 9780585277233
language: English
Problem solving--Problems, exercises, etc,
subject Comprehension--Problems, exercises, etc,
Reasoning--Problems, exercises, etc.
publication date: 1999
lcc: BF449.W45 1999eb
ddc: 153.4/3
Problem solving--Problems, exercises, etc,
subject: Comprehension--Problems, exercises, etc,
Reasoning--Problems, exercises, etc.
Page iii
Problem Solving and Comprehension
Sixth Edition
Arthur Whimbey
Text Reconstruction Across the Curriculum Institute
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Jack Lochhead
DeLiberate Thinking
Conway, Massachusetts
Page iv
Copyright © 1999 by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in
any form, by photostat, microfilm, retrieval system, or any other
means, without prior written permission of the publisher.
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers
10 Industrial Avenue
Mahwah, NJ 07430
Cover design by Kathryn
Houghtaling Lacey
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Whimbey, Arthur.
Problem solving and comprehension / Arthur Whimbey, Jack
Lochhead.6th ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-8058-3274-2 (pbk.)
1. Problem solvingProblems, exercises, etc. 2. Comprehension
Problems, exercises, etc. 3. ReasoningProblems,
exercises, etc. I. Lochhead, Jack, 1944- .
BF449.W45 1999
153.4'3dc21
98-33156
CIP
Books published by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates are printed
on acid-free paper, and their bindings are chosen for strength
and durability.
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Page v
Contents
Preface vii
I. Test your MindSee how it Works 1
II. Errors in Reasoning 11
III. Problem-Solving Methods 21
IV. Verbal Reasoning Problems 43
V. Six Myths About Reading 139
VI. Analogies 143
VII. Writing Relationship Sentences 157
VIII. How to Form Analogies 173
IX. Analysis of Trends and Patterns 195
X. Deductive and Hypothetical Thinking Through Days of223
the Week
XI. Solving Mathematical Word Problems 241
XII. The Post-WASI Test 334
XIII. Meeting Academic and Workplace Standards: How 342
This Book can Help
XIV. How to Use Pair Problem Solving 360
Appendix I. Answer Key 365
Appendix II. Compute your Own IQ 385
References 386

Page vii
Preface
Suppose you asked people the following questions: Would you like
greater skill in solving math and logic problems? Would you like to
sharpen your grasp of the ideas you read in scientific publications,
medical reports, textbooks, and legal contracts?
Most people would answer "yes" to these questions. They'd be happy
to gain increased capability to reasonbecause in today's world it's
almost impossible to avoid doing some problem solving and technical
reading.
The business world and the classroom have always put a premium on
mental skills. Today, even in the home, checkbooks and budgets need
balancing, wits are challenged by directions for assembling toys and
stereo or computer equipment, income tax forms must be deciphered,
and so on.
This book shows you how to increase your power to analyze problems
and comprehend what you read and hear. First it outlines and
illustrates the methods that good problem solvers use in attacking
complex ideas. Then it gives you practice in applying these methods
to a variety of questions in comprehension and reasoning. As you
work through the book you will witness a steady improvement in your
analytical thinking skills. You will develop confidence in your own
ability to solve problems, and this increased confidence will give you
a vigorous, positive attitude when attacking problems. If you're
willing to work and practice, you will be rewarded.
For example, at some time you may have to take a test to enter
college, medical school, or law schoolor to be hired for a particular
job. Here are some of the tests commonly used for college and job
selection:
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
ACT Work Keys
Terra Nova
Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
Wonderlic Personnel Test
United States Employment Service General Aptitude Test Battery
Civil Service Examinations
Page viii
Tests such as these are made up of problems; the better you are at
problem solving, the higher your scores will be. If you put the
techniques you learn in this book to work, you can expect to see real
gains in your scores on selection tests.
Your school grades can also be improved with the techniques you
learn here because you will have a two-edged sword. First, you'll be
better prepared to understand your textbooks and lectures so that your
mastery of courses will be fuller and deeper. You'll be a better thinker
and learner. In addition, when exam time rolls around, your sharpened
reading and reasoning skills will give you a strong advantage in
interpreting questions and answering them.
The thinking skills you learn in this book go beyond tests and school
learning. You'll find them useful in all occupations that involve
reading technical materials or tackling difficult problems. With the
growth of technology, such occupations represent an expanding
portion of the job market. X-ray technicians, TV repairpersons,
registered nurses, computer programmers, and accountants are all
called upon to comprehend and coordinate advanced areas of
knowledge. Automobile repair has become a field of specialists.
Modern fuel injection systems are so intricate that a person can't
understand and repair them without the ability to read complex
descriptions and directions. Skilled operators are needed for the new
automotive diagnostic equipment, which is used to get a profile of
engine performance and difficulties. Even farming today has become
a detailed science in which soils are chemically analyzed and then
treated with spectrums of additives to produce maximum yields of
high-paying crops. To be successful, a farmer has to have considerable
knowledge about both chemical products and crop-market trends.
In short, the techniques you learn in this book can help you on tests, in
your academic courses, and in any occupations that involve analyzing,
untangling, or comprehending knotty ideas.
New in the Sixth Edition
After 20 years any book will become a little dated. Yet much of
Problem Solving and Comprehension is as fresh and as useful today as
it was when the first edition was published in 1979. Strong analytical
thinking is a constant. It changes little over the centuries.
In preparing the sixth edition of this book we made some minor
changes to the language: We changed the names of some of our
characters to make them represent more accurately the cross section of
students attending today's schools; we changed the dates in some
problems; we updated the technology referred to in others.