Do Anxiety Level and Anxiety-Related Content Affect Accuracy and Endorsement Rate on Syllogistic Reasoning by Increasing Reliance on Belief-Biased Heuristic Processing?

Authors

Daniel Zahra, University of Plymouth

Document Type

Project Article

Abstract

This study used an adaptation of the belief bias paradigm and correlational analyses to investigate the effects of validity, believability, content, and anxiety level on syllogistic reasoning in a sample comprised of undergraduate students and volunteers from the general population within a dual process framework. All the variables were found to affect reasoning accuracy, but content did not affect endorsement rate. These patterns of responding were not due solely to working memory differences, and accuracy decreases in high-anxious participants were found not to be due to a reliance on belief-biased processing resulting from working memory depletion, thus suggesting that what determines the engagement of the analytic and heuristic processes in the dual process theory of reasoning is not cognitive load.

Publication Date

2008-07-01

Publication Title

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Volume

1

Issue

1

First Page

229

Last Page

295

ISSN

1754-2383

Deposit Date

November 2018

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Zahra, Daniel (2008) "Do Anxiety Level and Anxiety-Related Content Affect Accuracy and Endorsement Rate on Syllogistic Reasoning by Increasing Reliance on Belief-Biased Heuristic Processing?," The Plymouth Student Scientist: Vol. 1: Iss. 1, Article 1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24382/81d4-wt35
Available at: https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/tpss/vol1/iss1/1