Differential Effects of Analogy Types on Retrievability and Inferential Induction in Text Comprehension

In the experiments presented in this study, the researcher examined the possibility and found evidence suggesting the different uses of analogy in structuring, reminding and understanding novel information. Specifically, when given series of written passages that either shared structural similarity, literal similarity, surface attributes or first order relations, individuals were likely to make interpretations that paralleled structural information from a previously read analogous scenario. In contrast with the great majority of existing research, as well as with some common conceptions about analogy use, this interpreting was done in the absence of direct didactical intervention other than text comprehension. Strikingly participants were able to draw inferences. Findings from the experiments seem to suggest that surface attribute and literal similarity were quite influential in remindings and access whereas structural similarity appeared to be more sensitive to inference-drawing. The data were taking as supporting the evidence that a) different types of similarity affect analogies differently; b) that inference-drawing and elaboration can take place automatically in text comprehension.