The Nature of Reasoning [Paperback]

This 2004 book focuses on how people draw conclusions from information.Reasoning is like breathing to the mind. We are constantly doing it, but we rarely take notice of it. If it fai ls, however, we are paralyzed. Imagine being unable to infer conclusions from a conversation or being unable to reach a solution to an important life problem. This book focuses on how people draw conclusions from information. This book discusses what role the brain, our memory, and our knowledge plays in drawing conclusions in everyday life.Reasoning is like breathing to the mind. We are constantly doing it, but we rarely take notice of it. If it fai ls, however, we are paralyzed. Imagine being unable to infer conclusions from a conversation or being unable to reach a solution to an important life problem. This book focuses on how people draw conclusions from information. This book discusses what role the brain, our memory, and our knowledge plays in drawing conclusions in everyday life.Reasoning to the mind is like breathing to the lungs. We are constantly doing it, but rarely take notice. If it fails, however, we are paralyzed. Imagine being unable to infer conclusions from a conversation or being unable to reach a solution to an important life problem. This book focuses on how people draw conclusions from information and discusses the roles that the brain, our memory, and our knowledge play in drawing conclusions in everyday life.1. Defining and describing reason; 2. Reasoning and brain function; 3. Working memory and reasoning; 4. The role of prior belief in reasoning; 5. Task understanding; 6. Strategies and knowledge representation; 7. Mental models and reasoning; 8. Mental-logic theory: what it proposes and reasons to take this proposal seriously; 9. Heuristics and reasoning: making deduction simple; 10. Cognitive heuristics: reasoning the fast and frugal way; 11. The assessment of logical reasoning; 12. The development of deductive reasoning; 13. The evolution of reasonlóQ