INSTRUCTIONS: Students have indicated that this task is rather simple. Below are some letter strings. It is your job to find a 4 or 5 letter word in these strings without changing the order of the letters.
For example:
LBIKOPN ANSWER: LION
MSAXRCE ANSWER: MARE
Notice that the order of the letters was NOT changed. In this task, please do not attempt the next problem until you have finished the one prior to it. Also, do NOT DWELL on any one item. Write down your first response. Do not write down more than one answer per problem.
1. GZOQAXT
2. BRUFLML
3. DZEPEWR
4. MWUNLME
5. WIORLZF
6. BXESAUR
7. TSINGREVR
8. FYROOMG
9. GNEVERZOE
10. BLIARGD
11. CQAFMTELL
12. CJHFILMKP
Scoring
For the first six words are practice words. Unbeknownst to the participants, these items encourage participants to develop a mental set for this task. For this task, the mental set is animals. The only words that could be made that are 4-5 letters and maintain the order of those letters are the following:
The next set are the test words, which determine whether participants keep the mental set they developed after the practice words. Participants may break the set earlier, but item #9 is the set breaking item. If participants adhere to the mental set, they will “geeze,” even though it isn’t a word, because it’s close to the word “geese.” If they write “never,” they break the mental set.
RETAIN BREAK MENTAL SET MENTAL SET
7. TSINGREVR TIGER SING 8. FYROOMG FROG ROOM 9. GNEVERZOE GEEZE NEVER 10. BLIARGD BIRD LIAR 11. CQAFMTELL CAMEL TELL (or CAME) 12. CJHFILMKP CHIMP FILM