Anomalous information triggers questions when adults solve quantitative problems and comprehend stories.

This study tested whether anomalous information causes an increase in questions generated by college students while they solve quantitative problems (i.e., algebra word problems, statistics problems, and analytical puzzles) or while they comprehend stories. Subjects were presented different versions of each problem or story: (a) complete original, (b) deletion of critical information, (c) addition of contradictory information, and (d) addition of salient or subtle irrelevancies. Some types of anomalies elicited more questions than did the original versions, and a subset of the questions directly addressed the anomalies. The deletion versions triggered more questions than did the other transformed versions