Reasoning

Flashcards on reasoning from Cognitive Psychology: Chapter 10

Syllogism

Consists of two premises and a conclusion used to test reasoning validity.

Incongruent Syllogism

A valid syllogism whose content is incongruent with reality.

Abstract Syllogism

A syllogism that is content-free.

Deductive Reasoning

Reasoning in situations where the conclusions can be determined to follow with certainty from the premises.

Inductive Reasoning

Reasoning in situations in which the conclusions follow only probabilistically from the premises.

Conditional Statement

An assertion that, if an antecedent is true, then a consequent must be true; If A, then B.

Antecedent

The condition of a conditional statement; It is the 'A' in 'If A, then B'.

Consequent

The result of a conditional statement; It is the 'B' in 'If A, then B'.

Modus Ponens

Given A is true, infer B is true.

Modus Tollens

Given B is false, infer A is false.

Affirmation of the Consequent

Given B is true, infer A is true (invalid).

Denial of the Antecedent

Given A is false, infer B is false (invalid).

Bayes Nets

Graphical formalism used in work on AI for reasoning about real-world knowledge

Wason Selection Task

Demonstrates human inability to reason correctly when testing a conditional statement.

Permission Schema

Interpretation of a conditional statement in which the antecedent specifies the situations in which the consequent is permitted.

Categorical Syllogism

A syllogism involving statements with logical quantifiers where one premise relates A to B, another relates B to C, and the conclusion relates A to C.

Atmosphere Hypothesis

The logical terms (some, all, none) create an atmosphere that predisposes participants to accept conclusions having the same quantifiers.

Mental-Model Theory

Participants judge the conclusion possibility by creating a mental world model to see if the conclusion is true in that model.

Attribute Identification

The problem of determining what attributes are relevant to the formation of a hypothesis.

Rule Learning

Determining how the features combine to make a hypothesis.

Confirmation Bias

Tendency to seek evidence that is consistent with one’s current hypothesis

Dual-Process Theories

Suggests human reasoning is governed by two different types of processes: Type 1 and Type 2.

Type 1 processes

Rapid, automatic, and rely on associations between situations and actions

Type 2 processes

Slow, deliberative, and may follow prescriptions of the normative (Bayesian) models