Mental models in deductive reasoning.

Full Abstract

We report research investigating the role of mental models in deduction. The first study deals with conjunctive inferences (from one conjunction and two conditional premises) and disjunctive inferences (from one disjunction and the same two conditionals). The second study examines reasoning from multiple conditionals such as:
If e then b; If a then b; If b then c; What follows between a and c? The third study addresses reasoning from different sorts of conditional assertions, including conditionals based on if then, only if, and unless. The paper also presents research on figural effects in syllogistic reasoning, on the effects of structure and believability in reasoning from double conditionals, and on reasoning from factual, counterfactual, and semifactual conditionals. The findings of these studies support the model theory, pose some difficulties for rule theories, and show the influence on reasoning of the linguistic structure and the semantic content of problems.

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Author information

Author/s: García-Madruga, Juan A (JA); Gutiérrez, Francisco (F); Carriedo, Nuria (N); Moreno, Sergio (S); Johnson-Laird, Philip N (PN);

Affiliation: Dpto. de Psicología Evolutiva, Facultad de Psicología, UNED, 28040, Madrid, Spain. jmadruga(-atsign-)psi.uned.es

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Journal: The Spanish journal of psychology (Span J Psychol), published in Spain. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Nov; vol 5 (issue 2) : pp 125-40

Dates: Created 2002/11/13; Completed 2003/03/13; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 12428479, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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