Lecture 2 - Reasoning

Question 1

What are the two kinds of reasoning

Answer 1

Deductive

Inductive

Question 2

What is deductive reasoning

Answer 2

Drawing conclusions that are logically certain, provided the premises are true

Top-down logic

Question 3

What is inductive reasoning

Answer 3

Drawing conclusions that are probable, but not certain, as they are based on the strength of the evidence

Bottom-up logic

Question 4

What is conditional reasoning

Answer 4

Type of deductive reasoning that involves reasoning about the conditions under which certain statements are true

Question 5

Why do people make mistakes

Answer 5

Braine, 1978
Woodworth & Sells, 1935
Oaksford & Chater, 1994

Question 6

What are the 3 theories of deductive reasoning

Answer 6

Abstract-rule theories
Mental models
Dual systems approach

Question 7

What is the abstract rule theory

Braine (1978)

Answer 7

People use abstract, generalised rules to guide their reasoning processes

These rules are often derived from past experiences and learned patterns

Question 8

How can we improve performance

Answer 8

Performance can be improved by presenting additional clarifying sentences (to reduce comprehension errors)

Braine et al, 1984

Question 9

Another card

Answer 9

something here

Question 10

How does the abstract rule theory explain the common errors made in reasoning tasks

Answer 10

Overgeneralisation
Misapplication of rules
Confirmation bias

Question 11

What is the mental model theory

Johnson-Laird 1999

Answer 11

Everyday comprehension processes are used on reasoning problems

Reasoning involves examination of mental model and/or attempts to create alternative models

Question 12

What is the principle of truth

Answer 12

idk

Question 13

What are the common errors made in reasoning tasks according to mental models theory

Answer 13

Cognitive load

Sequential reasoning

Question 14

How does the dual systems approach explain the common errors made in reasoning tasks

Answer 14

Overreliance on intuition (1)

Emotional Bias (1)

Analysis Paralysis (2)

Question 14

what is the dual systems approach

Answer 14

Reasoning involves two systems
system 1 is fast (heuristics)
system 2 is slow (logic)

Question 15

Deductive Reasoning Summary

Answer 15

• Drawing conclusions that are logically certain, provided the premises are true
• People make characteristic errors in deductive reasoning
• Attributed to:
  -Failure to understand task
  -Lack of logical approach
  -Tendency towards probabilistic approach in line w/ irl reasoning

Question 16

What is the 2-4-6 task

Answer 16

Wason (1966)

3 digits in any ascending order of magnitude

pps suggest numbers and are told yes or no if they fit the rule

they try to figure out what the rule is

Question 17

How does the 2-4-6 have anything to do with anything

Answer 17

Wasons’s selection tasks reveals the tendancy to seek confirmation and avoid disconfirmation.

This impacts are reasoning abilities through:
* Overconfidence in Beliefs
* Resistance to Change

Answer 18

Mynatt et al (1977)

Question 19

What is an example of disconfirmatory evidence in fields outside of psychology

Answer 19

Mitroff (1974)

• Majority of NASA scientists (N = 40) interviewed were highly committed to confirming their own theoretical positions
• Argued that w/out it, many good, new, but undeveloped ideas would die as a result of premature falsification
• The scientists who held such views were rated as especially prominent & successful by their peers

Even when faced with disconfirmatory evidence, confirmation bias is real

Scientists use copium for justifying their arguments
-even when wrong because “it helps their ability in the future to produce correct hypotheses”