The use of analogues in comparability analysis

Area of Science:

• Engineering
• Cognitive Science
• Decision Making

Background:

• Comparability studies are crucial engineering procedures for predicting the performance of new equipment based on existing systems.
• Existing models of analogical reasoning do not fully explain the inferential processes used in these studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the reasoning patterns employed by engineers during comparability studies.
• To understand how engineers predict features of equipment in the design stage using existing systems.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of interviews with engineers who conducted comparability studies.
• Examination of reports generated from comparability studies to identify reasoning patterns.

Main Results:

• Engineers' reasoning in comparability studies did not align with traditional analogical reasoning models.
• Inference patterns were primarily driven by the specific tasks and goals, rather than direct feature-by-feature comparisons.
• The effective use of heuristic knowledge, or rules of thumb, was critical in applying analogies.

Conclusions:

• Comparability studies involve a unique, task-driven inferential process distinct from standard analogical reasoning.
• Expertise in utilizing vague knowledge is a key component of successful engineering predictions in design.
• Naturalistic problem-solving scenarios, like comparability studies, offer valuable insights into human inferential processes.