Verbal Analogies and Concrete Operations

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Abstract
In two studies children in the age range 6–11 years were given tests of verbal analogies, of word associations, and of concrete operations. Analogies used were at two levels of difficulty. The more difficult ones involved more advanced vocabulary, required more knowledge, or had a more unusual relation between terms. By refining the easier analogies items it was possible to remove the influence of a word association strategy which might have contributed to correct answers without involving the eduction of relations and correlates. Children successful on tests of concrete operations were able to demonstrate logical reasoning on these refined analogies items. The solving of verbal analogies can therefore be seen as related to concrete operational thought, rather than as requiring formal operational thought.

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