On the problem solution criterion, verbal problem solving scores do not decline over four weeks and rise on the more complex problems¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 1972 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · overdue for a recheck since 1977: baselines and conditions change
Evidence quality · No study behind this claim is a peer-reviewed article with a DOI: it rests on an ERIC document (a report, conference paper or thesis). It is kept because 4 design pages cite it; treat it as a lead to check, not an established finding.

Subclaims¶

Reading the evidence codes

q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.

This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.

q2 i? On the problem solution criterion, retention test means were significantly larger than posttest means, driven by gains on the three more complex problems. → Bassler 1972

Evidence¶

Bassler 1972¶

Bassler, O. C.; Beers, M. I.; Richardson, L. I. (1972). Comparison of Two Instructional Strategies for Teaching the Solution to Verbal Problems. Final Report. George Peabody College for Teachers. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED075260

q2 · i? · causal · r2

Subscale analysis of the problem solution criterion: no occasion difference on the seven similar-problem subscale, but "the scores on the retention test were significantly larger than the scores on the posttest" on the three-problem subscale of more complex problems.

"There was a significant difference on the three problem subscale; that is, the scores on the retention test were significantly larger than the scores on the posttest."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

Problem Solving — outcome: instruction changes it

Polya and Dahmus methods do not differ on the problem solution criterion — related
Retention differs by type of knowledge tested, with concepts and rules retained best and problem solving worst — related
Three weeks of explicit language-focused strategy instruction produced no significant word-problem gain in this study — reports the opposite
Polya Method students outscore Dahmus Method students on the equation criterion for verbal problems — related
Algebra ability level differences appear on both criteria with no treatment-by-ability interaction — related
Dahmus Method students translated phrases successfully but failed to combine them into a single solution equation — related

Page metadata

Field	Value
`type`	`claim`
`id`	`verbal-problem-scores-resistant-to-forgetting`
`title`	`On the problem solution criterion, verbal problem solving scores do not decline over four weeks and rise on the more complex problems`
`description`	`Verbal problem solving scores on both criteria are highly resistant to forgetting over four weeks`
`status`	`review`
`evidence_strength`	`moderate`
`newest_evidence`	`1972`
`recheck_by`	`1977`
`generated`	by `process:wiki-ingest` on `2026-09-27`
`trust`	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
`sources`	1 — `bassler-1972`

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