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Pacis Lesson Kit

- Philip Johnson-Laird developed the mental model theory of reasoning which suggests that mental representations can take the form of propositions, mental models, or images. - Johnson-Laird was a professor of psychology and philosopher of language known for his work on human cognition and reasoning. - Mental model theory proposes that people form internal representations or "models" of external situations, and use these models to understand phenomena and solve problems.

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EMMANUEL CARBONELL
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48 views

Pacis Lesson Kit

- Philip Johnson-Laird developed the mental model theory of reasoning which suggests that mental representations can take the form of propositions, mental models, or images. - Johnson-Laird was a professor of psychology and philosopher of language known for his work on human cognition and reasoning. - Mental model theory proposes that people form internal representations or "models" of external situations, and use these models to understand phenomena and solve problems.

Uploaded by

EMMANUEL CARBONELL
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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A.

Johnson- Laird’s Mental Models


An alternative synthesis of the literature suggest that mental representations may take any of
these three forms.
 Proposition
 Mental Models
 Or images
Who is Johnson- Lairds?
 Philip N. Johnson-Laird, FRS, FBA is a philosopher of language and reasoning and a
developer of the mental model theory of reasoning. He was a professor at Princeton
University's Department of Psychology, as well as the author of several notable books on
human cognition and the psychology of reasoning.
 Place of birth: Leeds, United Kingdom
 Education: University College London, Culford School.
Proposition
 A proposition is the meaning underlying a particular relationship among concepts.
Propositional theory suggests that we do not store mental representations in the form
of images or mere words.
EXAMPLE

 *In this table, propositions are expressed in a shorthand form (known as “predicate
calculus”) commonly used to express underlying meaning. This shorthand is intended
only to give some idea of how the underlying meaning of knowledge might be
represented. It is not believed that this form is literally the form in which meaning is
represented in the mind. In general, the shorthand form for representing propositions
is this: [Relationship between elements] ([subject element], [object element]).

Limitations of Propositional Theory


 In contrast to the work just discussed, there is some evidence that we do not
necessarily need a propositional code to manipulate information, but can manipulate
mental imagery directly. They believe that the mental reinterpretation of ambiguous
figures involves two manipulations.

Quickly glance at this figure and then cover it with your hand. Imagine the figure you just
saw. Does it contain a parallelogram?
Actually, the figure shown here is an ambiguous figure, meaning that it can be interpreted
in more than one way. Ambiguous figures often are used in studies of perception. But
these researchers decided to use such figures to determine whether.
Can Mental Images Be Ambiguous?
(a) Look closely at the rabbit, then cover it with your hand and recreate it in your mind.
Can you see a different animal in this image just by mentally shifting your
perspective?
(b) What animal do you observe in this figure? Create a mental image of this figure, and
try to imagine the front end of this animal as the back end of another animal and the tail
end of this animal as the front end of another animal.
(c) Observe the animal in this figure, and create a mental image of the animal; cover the
figure, and try to reinterpret your mental image as a different kind of animal (both
animals probably are facing in the same direction).
 Mental Manipulations of Images
According to the functional-equivalence hypothesis, although visual imagery is not
identical to visual perception, it is functionally equivalent to it. Functionally equivalent
things are strongly analogous to each other—they can accomplish the same goals.
 Principles of Visual Imagery
One investigator has suggested some principles of how visual imagery may be
functionally equivalent to visual perception (Finke, 1989). These principles may be used
as a guide for designing and evaluating research on imagery. Table 7.2 offers an idea of
some of the research questions that may be generated, based on Finke’s principles.

B. MENTAL MODELS

What is mental model theory?


• Mental models are conceived of as a cognitive structure that forms the basis of reasoning,
decision making, and, with the limitations also observed in the attitudes literature, behavior.
MENTAL MODELS
Mental Models offers nothing less than a unified theory of the major properties of mind:
comprehension, inference, and consciousness. In spirited and graceful prose, Johnson-Laird
argues that we apprehend the world by building inner mental replicas of the relations among
objects and events that concern us.

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