Transitive and pseudo-transitive inferences
Transitive and pseudo-transitive inferences
复制标题
DOI：
10.1016/j.cognition.2008.02.010
复制
发表时间：
2008-08-01
期刊：
影响因子：
3.4
通讯作者：
Johnson-Laird, P. N.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Goodwin, Geoffrey P.;Johnson-Laird, P. N.
假设A比B长，B比C长，那么即使是5岁的孩子也能推断出A比C长。基于形式推理规则的推理理论调用简单的公理（“意义假设”）来捕获这种传递性推理。另一种理论提出，推理者构建由前提描述的情境的心理模型，以得出这样的推论。模型理论的一个意想不到的结果是，如果成年推理者为典型情况构建简单的模型，那么他们应该推断出传递关系，而在某些情况下，传递关系是不存在的。我们报告四项研究证实了这些“伪传递”谬误的发生。实验一确定，个人的某些非传递关系的图表产生传递性的结论。实验2表明，这些前提也会导致错误的传递性推理。实验3表明，当上下文提示简单模型的替代方案时，参与者犯的错误较少。实验四表明，时态是意义的一个重要方面，它影响个体是否得出传递性结论。我们讨论了这些结果的影响，各种理论的推理。(c)2008 Elsevier B.V.保留所有权利。
Given that A is longer than B, and that B is longer than C, even 5-year-old children can infer that A is longer than C. Theories of reasoning based on formal rules of inference invoke simple axioms ("meaning postulates") to capture such transitive inferences. An alternative theory proposes instead that reasoners construct mental models of the situation described by the premises in order to draw such inferences. An unexpected consequence of the model theory is that if adult reasoners construct simple models of typical situations, then they should infer transitive relations where, in certain cases, none exists. We report four studies corroborating the occurrence of these "pseudo-transitive" fallacies. Experiment I established that individuals' diagrams of certain non-transitive relations yield transitive conclusions. Experiment 2 showed that these premises also give rise to fallacious transitive inferences. Experiment 3 established that when the context suggested alternatives to the simple models, the participants made fewer errors. Experiment 4 showed that tense is an important aspect of meaning which affects whether individuals draw transitive conclusions. We discuss the implications of these results for various theories of reasoning. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.