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The purpose of this paper is to analyze the components of clinical inference within the framework of Brunswik's lens model by means of multiple-regression analysis. 2 parallel studies of clinical psychologists, the performance of Ss in a quasi-clinical task, and the performance of Ss learning a multiple-cue probability task involving neutral stimuli provide the context for the analysis. Special reference is made to the problem of clinical vs. statistical prediction. Implications for the interrelation between experimental psychology, cognitive theory, and clinical tests are discussed.Two sharply contrasting attitudes toward the psychology of inference may be observed within psychology. On the one hand, clinical psychologists behave as if there were virtually no limit to their capacity for inference making. Indeed, the general assumption, only slightly tarnished, is-the more data on which to base the inference, the better the inference is likely to be. On the other hand, experimental psychologists, particularly learning theorists, appear to believe that man's capacity for inference making is hardly more than a brief step removed from none at all. Where the truth lies, however, may be learned from the inferential behavior

The theory developed here proposes that performance in cognitive tasks involves two distinct processes: acquisition of knowledge and cognitive control over knowledge already acquired. A conceptual and analytic framework is presented which allows for the disentanglement of knowledge and control, and for the quantification of each. Evidence from studies of multiple-cue probability learning, clinical judgment, and interpersonal conflict supports the theoretical usefulness of this framework and indicates that poor performance in cognitive tasks can often be attributed to incomplete cognitive control, rather than incomplete knowledge. The importance of cognitive feedback-• as opposed to traditional outcome feedback-for the development of cognitive control is illustrated.

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