Supporting successful interpretations of covariation data: Beneficial effects of variable symmetry and problem context

People often have difficulty interpreting covariation data presented in contingency tables. The present study investigates adults’ success and strategy use in interpreting covariation data as a function of two factors that may influence performance: symmetry and context. We hypothesised that symmetrical problems, which involve comparing two candidate causes, would elicit more adequate interpretations than asymmetrical problems, which involve...