Rolf Reber | University of Oslo (original) (raw)

Papers by Rolf Reber

We investigated example choice as a new method for the teaching of formal theoretical principles.... more We investigated example choice as a new method for the teaching of formal theoretical principles. Formal principles are presented with several examples from different topics, and students choose the one that interests them most. Example choice might be related to prior knowledge, interest, or perceived control. In an experimental study, we examined the effects of degree of example choice and degree of prior knowledge on interest, perceived control, and learning outcomes in a presentation on confirmation bias. The main finding was that participants who could choose an example showed more interest in the presentation of the formal principle than participants
who either were given an example by the experimenter or only saw the presentation. Control was lowest for the group without example choice and without prior knowledge. Finally, prior knowledge, but not example choice, increased performance on a transfer of knowledge task. Example choice thus offers a new approach for closing the gap between formal principles as presented at school and a student’s interests.

Consciousness and Cognition, 2007

Research into intuitive problem solving has shown that objective closeness of participants' hypot... more Research into intuitive problem solving has shown that objective closeness of participants' hypotheses were closer to the accurate solution than their subjective ratings of closeness. After separating conceptually intuitive problem solving from the solutions of rational incremental tasks and of sudden insight tasks, we replicated this finding by using more precise measures in a conceptual problem-solving task. In a second study, we distinguished performance level, processing style, implicit knowledge and subjective feeling of closeness to the solution within the problem-solving task and examined the relationships of these different components with measures of intelligence and personality. Verbal intelligence correlated with performance level in problem solving, but not with processing style and implicit knowledge. Faith in intuition, openness to experience, and conscientiousness correlated with processing style, but not with implicit knowledge. These findings suggest that one needs to decompose processing style and intuitive components in problem solving to make predictions on effects of intelligence and personality measures.

People perceive meaningful wholes and later separate out constituent parts (D. Navon, 1977). Yet ... more People perceive meaningful wholes and later separate out constituent parts (D. Navon, 1977). Yet there
are cross-national differences in whether a focal target or integrated whole is first perceived. Rather than
construe these differences as fixed, the proposed culture-as-situated-cognition model explains these
differences as due to whether a collective or individual mind-set is cued at the moment of observation.
Eight studies demonstrated that when cultural mind-set and task demands are congruent, easier tasks are
accomplished more quickly and more difficult or time-constrained tasks are accomplished more accurately
(Study 1: Koreans, Korean Americans; Study 2: Hong Kong Chinese; Study 3: European- and
Asian-heritage Americans; Study 4: Americans; Study: 5 Hong Kong Chinese; Study 6: Americans;
Study 7: Norwegians; Study 8: African-, European-, and Asian-heritage Americans). Meta-analyses (d

.34) demonstrated homogeneous effects across geographic place (East–West), racial– ethnic group, task,
and sensory mode—differences are cued in the moment. Contrast and separation are salient individual
mind-set procedures, resulting in focus on a single target or main point. Assimilation and connection are
salient collective mind-set procedures, resulting in focus on multiplicity and integration.

We propose that aesthetic pleasure is a function of the perceiver’s processing dynamics: The more... more We propose that aesthetic pleasure is a function of the perceiver’s processing dynamics: The more fluently perceivers can process an object, the more positive their aesthetic response. We review variables known to influence aesthetic judgments, such as figural goodness, figure–ground contrast, stimulus repetition, symmetry, and prototypicality, and trace their effects to changes in processing fluency. Other variables that influence processing fluency, like visual or semantic priming, similarly increase judgments of aesthetic pleasure. Our proposal provides an integrative framework for the study of aesthetic pleasure and sheds light on the interplay between early preferences versus cultural influences on taste, preferences for both prototypical and abstracted forms, and the relation between beauty and truth. In contrast to theories that trace aesthetic pleasure to objective stimulus features per se, we propose that beauty is grounded in the processing experiences of the perceiver, which are in part a function of stimulus properties.

We investigated example choice as a new method for the teaching of formal theoretical principles.... more We investigated example choice as a new method for the teaching of formal theoretical principles. Formal principles are presented with several examples from different topics, and students choose the one that interests them most. Example choice might be related to prior knowledge, interest, or perceived control. In an experimental study, we examined the effects of degree of example choice and degree of prior knowledge on interest, perceived control, and learning outcomes in a presentation on confirmation bias. The main finding was that participants who could choose an example showed more interest in the presentation of the formal principle than participants
who either were given an example by the experimenter or only saw the presentation. Control was lowest for the group without example choice and without prior knowledge. Finally, prior knowledge, but not example choice, increased performance on a transfer of knowledge task. Example choice thus offers a new approach for closing the gap between formal principles as presented at school and a student’s interests.

Consciousness and Cognition, 2007

Research into intuitive problem solving has shown that objective closeness of participants' hypot... more Research into intuitive problem solving has shown that objective closeness of participants' hypotheses were closer to the accurate solution than their subjective ratings of closeness. After separating conceptually intuitive problem solving from the solutions of rational incremental tasks and of sudden insight tasks, we replicated this finding by using more precise measures in a conceptual problem-solving task. In a second study, we distinguished performance level, processing style, implicit knowledge and subjective feeling of closeness to the solution within the problem-solving task and examined the relationships of these different components with measures of intelligence and personality. Verbal intelligence correlated with performance level in problem solving, but not with processing style and implicit knowledge. Faith in intuition, openness to experience, and conscientiousness correlated with processing style, but not with implicit knowledge. These findings suggest that one needs to decompose processing style and intuitive components in problem solving to make predictions on effects of intelligence and personality measures.

People perceive meaningful wholes and later separate out constituent parts (D. Navon, 1977). Yet ... more People perceive meaningful wholes and later separate out constituent parts (D. Navon, 1977). Yet there
are cross-national differences in whether a focal target or integrated whole is first perceived. Rather than
construe these differences as fixed, the proposed culture-as-situated-cognition model explains these
differences as due to whether a collective or individual mind-set is cued at the moment of observation.
Eight studies demonstrated that when cultural mind-set and task demands are congruent, easier tasks are
accomplished more quickly and more difficult or time-constrained tasks are accomplished more accurately
(Study 1: Koreans, Korean Americans; Study 2: Hong Kong Chinese; Study 3: European- and
Asian-heritage Americans; Study 4: Americans; Study: 5 Hong Kong Chinese; Study 6: Americans;
Study 7: Norwegians; Study 8: African-, European-, and Asian-heritage Americans). Meta-analyses (d

.34) demonstrated homogeneous effects across geographic place (East–West), racial– ethnic group, task,
and sensory mode—differences are cued in the moment. Contrast and separation are salient individual
mind-set procedures, resulting in focus on a single target or main point. Assimilation and connection are
salient collective mind-set procedures, resulting in focus on multiplicity and integration.

We propose that aesthetic pleasure is a function of the perceiver’s processing dynamics: The more... more We propose that aesthetic pleasure is a function of the perceiver’s processing dynamics: The more fluently perceivers can process an object, the more positive their aesthetic response. We review variables known to influence aesthetic judgments, such as figural goodness, figure–ground contrast, stimulus repetition, symmetry, and prototypicality, and trace their effects to changes in processing fluency. Other variables that influence processing fluency, like visual or semantic priming, similarly increase judgments of aesthetic pleasure. Our proposal provides an integrative framework for the study of aesthetic pleasure and sheds light on the interplay between early preferences versus cultural influences on taste, preferences for both prototypical and abstracted forms, and the relation between beauty and truth. In contrast to theories that trace aesthetic pleasure to objective stimulus features per se, we propose that beauty is grounded in the processing experiences of the perceiver, which are in part a function of stimulus properties.