Propositional reasoning by mental models? Simple to refute in principle and in practice

Author: O’Brien, D.P.; Braine, M.D.S.; Yang, Y.

Description: Two experiments compared the predictions of mental-models theory with a mental-logic theory. A total of 120 undergraduates participated. Results show that people do not make fallacious inferences predicted by mental-models theory but not predicted by mental-logic theory, and that people routinely make many valid inferences predicted by mental-logic theory that should be too difficult on mental-models theory. Thus, the mental-logic theory accounts better for the data. A difference between the 2 theories concerning predictions about the order in which inferences are made was also investigated. The data clearly favor the mental-logic theory. It is argued that the mental-logic theory provides the more plausible description of the actual psychological processes in propositional reasoning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Subject headings: Mental models; Mental-logic theory

Publication year: 1994

Journal or book title: Psychological Review

Volume: 101

Issue: 4

Pages: 711-724

Find the full text : https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1995-08272-001

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Type: Journal Article

Serial number: 1978