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Related Concept Videos

Reasoning01:30

Reasoning

Reasoning is the action of thinking about something in a logical, sensible way. It is integral to problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking. Reasoning can be inductive or deductive. Reasoning involves transforming information into conclusions, which is essential for problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking.
Inductive reasoning involves deriving generalizations from specific observations. This type of reasoning helps form beliefs about the world. For example,...
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Reason and Intuition

The human brain processes information for decision-making using one of two routes: an intuitive system and a rational system (Epstein, 1994; popularized by Kahneman, 2011 as System 1 and System 2, respectively). The intuitive system is quick, impulsive, and operates with minimal effort, relying on emotions or habits to provide cues for what to do next, while the rational system is logical, analytical, deliberate, and methodical. Research in neuropsychology suggests that the brain can only use...
Instinct Theory01:29

Instinct Theory

Instinct theory proposes that innate biological instincts, like animal behavioral patterns, primarily drive human behavior. These instincts are inborn, not learned, and are fundamental to decision-making and action. Just as animals rely on instincts for critical survival functions such as migration, nest building, and defense, humans are also believed to exhibit behaviors rooted in evolutionary needs. For example, the instinct to reproduce motivates sexual behavior, while territorial instincts...
Inductive Reasoning00:59

Inductive Reasoning

Inductive reasoning is a form of logical thinking that uses related observations to arrive at a general conclusion. It is uncertain and operates in degrees to which the conclusions are credible. As such, inductive arguments can be weak or strong, rather than valid or invalid, and conclusions can be used to formulate testable, falsifiable hypotheses.Inductive reasoning is common in descriptive science. A life scientist makes observations and records them. This data can be qualitative or...
Aggression01:47

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Humans engage in aggression when they seek to cause harm or pain to another person. Aggression takes two forms depending on one’s motives: hostile or instrumental. Hostile aggression is motivated by feelings of anger with intent to cause pain; a fight in a bar with a stranger is an example of hostile aggression. In contrast, instrumental aggression is motivated by achieving a goal and does not necessarily involve intent to cause pain (Berkowitz, 1993); a contract killer who murders for hire...
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Deductive reasoning, or deduction, is the type of logic used in hypothesis-based science. In deductive reasoning, the pattern of thinking moves in the opposite direction from inductive reasoning. It uses a general principle or law to predict specific results. From these general principles, a scientist can predict specific results that remain valid as long as the general principles are correct.For example, a researcher can make specific predictions from the hypothesis "butterflies are attracted...

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Why do humans reason? Arguments for an argumentative theory.

Hugo Mercier1, Dan Sperber

  • 1Philosophy, Politics and Economics Program, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. hmercier@sas.upenn.edu

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Decision Science
  • Argumentation Theory

Background:

  • Traditional views of reasoning focus on improving knowledge and decision-making.
  • Empirical evidence indicates reasoning frequently results in cognitive biases and suboptimal choices.
  • This discrepancy necessitates a re-evaluation of reasoning's primary function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose and support the hypothesis that reasoning's core function is argumentative, aimed at persuasion.
  • To reinterpret existing psychological evidence through the lens of the argumentative theory of reasoning.
  • To explain phenomena like confirmation bias and poor decision-making as adaptive outcomes of argumentative reasoning.

Main Methods:

  • Review and reinterpretation of existing psychological literature on reasoning and decision-making.
  • Theoretical analysis of reasoning as an argumentative device.
  • Comparison of reasoning performance in isolated versus argumentative contexts.

Main Results:

  • Reasoning's function is hypothesized to be argumentative: devising and evaluating arguments for persuasion.
  • Poor performance in standard reasoning tasks is attributed to the absence of an argumentative context.
  • In argumentative settings, individuals demonstrate skilled argumentation, prioritizing supporting evidence over objective truth.

Conclusions:

  • The argumentative theory of reasoning provides a unified explanation for previously observed 'failures' in reasoning.
  • Confirmation bias and the persistence of erroneous beliefs are explained by reasoning's bias towards supporting pre-existing views.
  • Reasoning is adaptive for social communication, optimizing persuasion and belief defense within human social structures.