Deductive Reasoning

Question 1

What does deductive reasoning allow us to do?

Answer 1

allows us to draw conclusions that are definitely valid provided that the other statements are assumed to be true

Question 2

What is conditional reasoning?

Answer 2

form of deductive reasoning based on if…then propositions ‘if it is raining then there will be clouds in the sky’

involves deciding something based on knowledge about something else

Question 3

Give features of deductive reasoning

Answer 3

• From general to specific
• Brings out what was already implicit in the information. Does not add more information than contained in the premises. Leads to conclusions that are necessarily (not just possibly) true

Question 4

What are P and Q in deductive reasoning?

Answer 4

p = antecedent 
q = consequent

Question 5

What is the modus ponens rule?

Answer 5

affirming the antecedent: If P then Q

Question 6

What is the modus tollens rule?

Answer 6

If q is false then p is false

Question 7

What is the affirmation of the consequent rule?

Answer 7

If q is true, then is p true: not necessarily

Question 8

What is denial of the antecedent?

Answer 8

If p is false then is q false? Not necessarily

Question 9

Are modus ponens and modus tollens valid or invalid?

Answer 9

valid

Question 10

Is the affirmation of the consequent and denial of the antecedent valid or invalid?

Answer 10

Invalid

Question 11

On hypothesis testing with a conditional rule are discrepancies in performance with a concrete example being better than a more abstract version because of concrete vs abstract rules or familiar vs unfamiliar rules?

Answer 11

Neither of them
Some concrete rules don’t improve performance
Some unfamiliar rules improve performance

Question 12

What is syllogism?

Answer 12

a kind of logical argument that applies deductive reasoning to arrive at a conclusion based on two or more propositions that are asserted or assumed to be true

Question 13

What are mistakes with syllogistic reasoning?

Answer 13

• Biases: People accept believable conclusions and reject unbelievable conclusions irrespective of their logical validity
• Belief bias effect: people accept conclusions that fit with their beliefs and reject assertions that don’t fit with their beliefs
• Dube et al. (2010): believability is important for syllogistic reasoning tasks

Question 14

What is the Wason selection task used to study reasoning performance affected by?

Answer 14

Content and context

Question 15

What do the rules of logic in our head suggest about how people make inferences?

Answer 15

Suggests that people construct mental stimulations of possibilities and base their inferences of these simulations

Question 16

What are errors with abstract rules due to?

Answer 16

§ Limitations of working memory capacity
§ Failure to apply specific rule
§ Reinterpretation of rule

Question 17

What is the mental models theory proposed by Johnso-Laird?

Answer 17

People use the information contained in the premises to construct a mental model

• A mental model describing the given situation is constructed and the conclusions that follow are generated
• An attempt is made to construct alternative models to falsify the conclusion by finding counterexamples to the conclusion. If a counterexample model is not found the conclusion is assumed to be valid
• The construction of mental models involves the limited resources of working memory.

Question 18

What is the probabilistic approach?

Answer 18

• Uncertain rather than certain reasoning

- Goal: increase knowledge, not achieve certainty

Question 19

What does Oaksford (1997) think about deductive reasoning tasks?

Answer 19

• People don’t really reason deductively on deductive reasoning tasks
• People engage in probabilistic reasoning
• Result of everyday experience

Question 20

What is the dual systems theory?

Answer 20

• Evans (2003)
  § System 1 processes: rapid, parallel and automatic (heuristic)
  § System 2 processes: slow and serial in nature (analytic)
• When you make a decision with your ‘gut’ it might be a decision that is based on system 1
• When you make a more conscious deliberative decision it might be thought to involve system 2 processes more heavily

Question 21

do most individual differences occur in system 1 or system 2 (dual systems theory)

Answer 21

System 2

Question 22

Are people with a higher IQ more or less susceptible to belief bias effect?

Answer 22

Less susceptible

Question 23

What are criticisms for the dual systems theory?

Answer 23

• Multiple and vague definitions
• Features for behaviours that are thought to belong to one system are not always observed together
• Evidence for two separate systems? Or does thinking behaviour operate on a single continuum

Question 24

How does stress affect thinking and decision making?

Answer 24

• Unsystematic and hurried decisions

- Narrowing of attention, increased distraction increases in reaction time and deficits in working memory