Individual differences and strategies for human reasoning

Theories of human reasoning have tended to assume cognitive universality, i. e. that all individuals reason in basically the same way. However, some research (e. g. that of Ford. 1995) has found evidence of individual differences in the strategies people use for syllogistic reasoning. This thesis presents a series of experiments which aimed to identify individual differences in strategies for human reasoning and investigate their nature and aetiology. Experiment 1 successfully replicated and extended Ford (1995) and provided further evidence that most individuals prefer to reason with either verbal-propositional or visuo-spatial representations. Data from verbal and written protocols showed that verbal reasoners tended to use a method of substitution whereby they obtain a value for the common term from one premise and then simply substitute it in the other premise to obtain a conclusion. Spatial reasoners, on the other hand, presented protocols which resembled Euler circles and described the syllogistic premises in terms of sets and subsets. Experiment 2 provided some further qualitative evidence about the nature of such strategies, especially the verbal reasoners, showing that within strategy variations occurred. Experiment 3 extended this line of research, identifying a strong association between verbal and spatial strategies for syllogistic reasoning and abstract and concrete strategies for transitive inference (the latter having originally been identified by Egan and Grimes- Farrow, 1982). Experiments 1-3 also showed that inter-strategic differences in accuracy are generally not observed, hence, reasoners present an outward appearance of ubiquity despite underlying differences in reasoning processes. Experiments 5 and 6 investigated individual differences in cognitive factors which may underpin strategy preference. Whilst no apparent effects of verbal and spatial ability or cognitive style were found, reasoners did appear to draw differentially on the verbal and spatial components of working memory. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that whilst verbal reasoners draw primarily on the verbal memory resource, spatial reasoners draw both on this and on spatial resource. Overall, these findings have important implications for theories of human reasoning, which need to take into account possible individual differences in strategies if they are to present a truly comprehensive account of how people reason.Economic and Social Research Counci

Working memory and human reasoning : an individual differences approach

Experiments 1-3 investigated the relationship between working memory and syllogistic and five-ten-n series spatial inference. A secondary aim was to replicate the findings of Shah and Miyake (1996) who suggested the use of separate central resources of working memory for spatial and verbal ability. The correlational analysis showed that the complex verbal and spatial working memory span tasks were associated together and consistently predicted reasoning performance in both verbal and visual modalities. The confirmatory factor analysis showed that three factors best accounted for the data -a verbal, a spatial, and a general resource. All the span tasks and most of the reasoning tasks significantly and consistently loaded the general factor. Experiments 4-6 investigated the relationship between working memory and a range of reasoning tasks - identified as either propositional. spatial, or quantifiable tasks. These experiments were based on the work of Stanovich and West (1998) who found that a range of reasoning tasks were predicted by cognitive ability and a reasoner's thinking style. The correlational anaylsis showed that the complex verbal and spatial working memory span tasks were associated together and consistently predicted reasoning perforinance. Two clusters of reasoning task emerged from the correlational analysis - one cluster related to the propositional and simple spatial reasoning tasks, whilst the other related to the quantifiable and complex spatial reasoning tasks. The confin-natory factor analysis showed that four factors best accounted for the data -a verbal, a spatial, a general, and a thinking style resource. All the span tasks and the reasoning tasks loaded the general factor, and most of the reasoning tasks further loaded the thinking disposition factor. These results are discussed in light of models of workino memory, theories of reasoning, and how to best characterise factor 3 (executive function) and factor 4 (thinking style) from tile factor analysis.Economic and Social Research Counci

Training and dual processes in human thinking

The aim of the research presented in this thesis was to investigate the effects of trainin- on reasoning and decision making performance. In Experiment Ia study is reported which examined the relationships between performance on a variety of reasoning tasks and measures of individual differences. Tasks employed were documented in the literature for their differential responding according to heuristic and analytic processes. The reasoning tasks to be utilised in the training studies were also validated. In Chapter 4, two statistical training studies are reported which demonstrate that analytic responding on everyday reasoning problems can be increased after instruction on the Law Of Large Numbers. Bias was eliminated, but only on written justifications of their responses. Belief-based responding was still utilised when participants were asked for a quick indication of argument strength on a rating scale. This demonstrates a dissociation between analytic and belief-based responding. A second series of experiments explored the effects of both abstract and schema-based training on selection task responding. All the training procedures resulted in positive transfer apart from training on the logic of the material conditional which facilitated perforinance on arbitrary tasks only. Relationships between perforinance on the tasks post-training and cognitive ability indicated that training was more effective for higher ability participants. The differential training effects were discussed in terrns of complexity of training procedures. The findings overall have implications for dual process theories of reasoning. The findings suggest that the interaction between training and System I and System 2 tasks/responses is a great deal more complicated than the simple analysis that is afforded by dual process accounts.the Economic and Social Research Counci

EEG source-space synchrostate transitions and Markov modeling in the math-gifted brain during a long-chain reasoning task

To reveal transition dynamics of global neuronal networks of math‐gifted adolescents in handling long‐chain reasoning, this study explores momentary phase‐synchronized patterns, that is, electroencephalogram (EEG) synchrostates, of intracerebral sources sustained in successive 50 ms time windows during a reasoning task and non‐task idle process. Through agglomerative hierarchical clustering for functional connectivity graphs and nested iterative cosine similarity tests, this study identifies seven general and one reasoning‐specific prototypical functional connectivity patterns from all synchrostates. Markov modeling is performed for the time‐sequential synchrostates of each trial to characterize the interstate transitions. The analysis reveals that default mode network, central executive network (CEN), dorsal attention network, cingulo‐opercular network, left/right ventral frontoparietal network, and ventral visual network aperiodically recur over non‐task or reasoning process, exhibiting high predictability in interactively reachable transitions. Compared to non‐gifted subjects, math‐gifted adolescents show higher fractional occupancy and mean duration in CEN and reasoning‐triggered transient right frontotemporal network (rFTN) in the time course of the reasoning process. Statistical modeling of Markov chains reveals that there are more self‐loops in CEN and rFTN of the math‐gifted brain, suggesting robust state durability in temporally maintaining the topological structures. Besides, math‐gifted subjects show higher probabilities in switching from the other types of synchrostates to CEN and rFTN, which represents more adaptive reconfiguration of connectivity pattern in the large‐scale cortical network for focused task‐related information processing, which underlies superior executive functions in controlling goal‐directed persistence and high predictability of implementing imagination and creative thinking during long‐chain reasoning

The genre of rational argument

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--University of Kansas, Speech and Drama, 1974

Problems of communication and perception = Труды по психологии. Проблемы общения и восприятия

• P. Tulviste. On the origins of theoretic syllogistic reasoning in culture and in the child • P. Tulviste, A.Lapp. Could Margaret Mead's methods reveal animism in Manus children? A partial replication study in an European culture • T. Bасhmann. Cognitive contours: Overview and a preliminary theory • T. Bаchmann. Visual search and selective adaptation • J. Allik, M. Tepp. Spontaneous movement perception: Precision of the temporal discrimination depends on spatial separation. • M. Rauk, A. Luuk. Perceived visual direction of the brief test-flashes on the horizontal scale. • V.I. Кushpil, J. Allik, Yu.V. Alekseev, E.K. Veselоva, L.F. Petгоva, V.P. Smirnоv. Regularities of visual search in complex field • J. Valsiner, A. Tamm. Mother-infant interaction: A longitudinal study of behavioural interrelations • J. Valsiner, I. Tago, V. Lооlaid, K. Hauk. Maternal subjective culture: An experimental study of the post-partum cognitive phenomena • M. Kоtik. A method of diagnostics of a person's attitude towards an alarming event • П. Тульвисте. Опроисхождении теоретического силлогистического мышления в культуре и у ребенка (Резюме ) • П. Тульенсте, А. Лапп. Могли ли методики Маргарет Мид обнаружить анимистическое мышление у Мануских детей? Частичное повторное • Т. Бахман. Когнитивные контуры: Обзор и предварительная теория. (Резше) • Т. Бахман. Зрительный поиск и селективная адаптация. (Резюме) • D. Аялик, М. Тепп. Спонтанное восприятие движения: Точность временного различения зависит от пространственной удаленности. (Резюме) • М. Раук, А. Луук. Воспринятое направление кратковременных тестовых вспышек на горизонтальной шкале. (Резюме) • В. И. Кушпиль, Ю.К. Аллик, Ю.В. Алексеев, Е.К. Веселова , Л.Ф. Петрова, В.П. Смирнов. Закономерности зрительного поиска на слож • Я. Вальсинер, А. Тамм. Взаимодействие матери и ребенка: Лонгитудинальное исследование взаимосвязей в поведении. (Резюме ) • Я. Вальсинер, И. Таго, В. Лоолайд, К. Xаук . Материнская субъективная культура- Экспериментальное изучение послеродовых когнит (Резюме) • М. Котик. Метод диагностики отношения человека тревожной ситуации. (Резюме) • Contents. Содержаниеhttp://tartu.ester.ee/record=b1222889~S1*es

Ancient Logic and its Modern Interpretations: Proceedings of the Buffalo Symposium on Modernist Interpretations of Ancient Logic, 21 and 22 April, 1972

Articles by Ian Mueller, Ronald Zirin, Norman Kretzmann, John Corcoran, John Mulhern, Mary Mulhern,Josiah Gould, and others. Topics: Aristotle's Syllogistic, Stoic Logic, Modern Research in Ancient Logic