TY  - JOUR
A1  - Oberauer, Klaus
T1  - Reasoning with conditionals: A test of formal models of four theories
JF  - Cognitive psychology
N2  - The four dominant theories of reasoning from conditionals are translated into formal models: The theory of mental models (Johnson-Laird, P. N., & Byrne, R. M. J. (2002). Conditionals: a theory of meaning, pragmatics, and inference. Psychological Review, 109, 646-678), the suppositional theory (Evans, J. S. B. T., & Over, D. E. (2004). If. Oxford: Oxford University Press), a dual-process variant of the model theory (Verschueren, N., Schaeken, W., & d'Ydewalle, G. (2005). A dual-process specification of causal conditional reasoning. Thinking & Reasoning, 11, 278-293), and the probabilistic theory (Oaksford, M., Chater, N., & Larkin, J. (2000). Probabilities and polarity biases in conditional inference. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 26, 883-899). The first three theories are formalized as multinomial models. The models are applied to the frequencies of patterns of acceptance or rejection across the four basic inferences modus ponens, acceptance of the consequent, denial of the antecedent, and modus tollens. Model fits are assessed for two large data sets, one representing reasoning with abstract, basic conditionals, the other reflecting reasoning with pseudo-realistic causal and non-causal conditionals. The best account of the data was provided by a modified version of the mental-model theory, augmented by directionality, and by the dual-process model.
KW  - conditionals
KW  - reasoning
KW  - multinomial models
Y1  - 2006
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogpsych.2006.04.001
SN  - 0010-0285
VL  - 53
IS  - 3
SP  - 238
EP  - 283
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Amsterdam
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Basel, Nicolai
A1  - Harms, Ute
A1  - Prechtl, Helmut
T1  - Analysis of students' arguments on evolutionary theory
JF  - Journal of biological education
N2  - A qualitative exploratory study was conducted to reveal students' argumentation skills in the context of the topic of evolution. Transcripts from problem-centred interviews on secondary students' beliefs about evolutionary processes of adaptation were analysed using a content analysis approach. For this purpose two categorical systems were deductively developed: one addressing the complexity of students' arguments, the other focusing on students' use of argumentation schemes. Subsequently, the categorical systems were inductively elaborated upon the basis of the analysed material showing a satisfactory inter-rater reliability. Regarding the arguments' complexity, students produced mainly single claims or claims with a single justification consisting of either data or warrants. With regard to argumentation schemes students drew their arguments mainly using causal schemes, analogies, or illustrative examples. Results are discussed in light of possible implications for teaching evolutionary theory using classroom argumentation.
KW  - evolutionary theory
KW  - reasoning
KW  - argumentation
KW  - argumentation schemes
Y1  - 2013
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1080/00219266.2013.799078
SN  - 0021-9266
SN  - 2157-6009
VL  - 47
IS  - 4
SP  - 192
EP  - 199
PB  - Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group
CY  - Abingdon
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Bade, Nadine
A1  - Picat, Leo
A1  - Chung, WooJin
A1  - Mascarenhas, Salvador
T1  - Alternatives and attention in language and reasoning: A reply to Mascarenhas & Picat (2019)
JF  - Semantics and Pragmatics
N2  - In this paper, we employ an experimental paradigm using insights from the psychology of reasoning to investigate the question whether certain modals generate and draw attention to alternatives. The article extends and builds on the methodology and findings of Mascarenhas & Picat (2019). Based on experimental results, they argue that the English epistemic modal might raises alternatives. We apply the same methodology to the English modal allowed to to test different hypotheses regarding the involvement of alternatives in deontic modality. We find commonalities and differences between the two modals we tested. We discuss theoretical consequences for existing semantic analyses of these modals, and argue that reasoning tasks can serve as a diagnostic tool to discover which natural language expressions involve alternatives.
KW  - reasoning
KW  - modals
KW  - alternatives
Y1  - 2022
U6  - https://doi.org/10.3765/sp.15.2
SN  - 1937-8912
VL  - 15
PB  - Linguistic Society of America
CY  - Washington
ER  -