RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Mistakes in Thinking about Cognitive Science and How to Reduce Them
JF eneuro
JO eNeuro
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP ENEURO.0380-24.2024
DO 10.1523/ENEURO.0380-24.2024
VO 11
IS 10
A1 Johnson-Laird, P. N.
YR 2024
UL http://www.eneuro.org/content/11/10/ENEURO.0380-24.2024.abstract
AB This article allows readers to assess their ability to detect errors in thinking in seven case histories of psychologists’ thoughts about cognitive science. It explains the nature of the errors and shows that some of them reflect faulty reasoning. It presents a “model method” to improve reasoning. It is based on the theory of mental models, which gives a general account of how individuals think, both deductively and indicatively, and which postulates that individuals construct mental models of possibilities in the world. The model method enhances both the accuracy and speed of reasoning. The article concludes with some general reflections on the role of knowledge of meanings, the world, and context in thinking.