Automatic and Strategic Search During Analogical Retrieval

The present study investigates two key aspects of analogical retrieval: (1) whether other activities different from problem solving automatically elicit a search for analogical sources, and (2) whether strategic search can overcome the superficial bias observed in classical experiments. In Experiment 1, participants had to generate persuasive arguments for a target situation under three experimental conditions: without indication to use analogies, with instruction to use analogies, and with indication to search for sources within four predefined domains: health, human relations, housekeeping, and breeding of animals and plants. Responses from the first condition showed that argumentation rarely triggers spontaneous analogical retrievals, a result that is at odds with most studies on problem solving. Results from the remaining conditions demonstrated that the superficial bias can be strategically reversed when participants are suggested to focus on specific domains. Experiment 2 replicated this last result with the simple instruction to search within domains different from that of the target (i.e., without being provided with a list of specific domains). The theoretical and educational implications of these findings are discussed.