Use of constraint-seeking questions by retarded and nonretarded individuals

A 20-questions problem-solving task was given to 116 EMR adolescents and 65 nonretarded MA-equated fourth graders. The subjects' questions were classified as either constraint seeking or nonconstraint seeking, and the problem-solving strategies were evaluated in terms of their efficiency of solution. Results indicated that the nonretarded group asked more constraint-seeking questions, and their strategies reflected more efficient problem-solving solutions. The majority of subjects in both groups appeared to be in Mosher and Hornsby's (1966) suggested transitional stage, as demonstrated by the fact that their strategies fell between employing only questions that eliminated one item in the stimulus array (hypothesis scanning) and questions that consistently eliminated the maximum number of items (perfect focusing). In addition, nonretarded subjects' strategies reflected a greater awareness of the apparent organizational demands of the task and especially an awareness of the entire range of dimensions in the stimulus array.