Descriptive Approach

1
Descriptive Approach

• Pragmatic Reasoning Schemas (Cheng Holyoak)
• Explanation of how realistic content (i.e.,
  deontic content) facilitates critical thinking
• schemas memories
• pragmatic practical
• We have memories for reasoning in practical
  situations

2
Schemas (i.e., memories)

• P1 if the action is to be taken, then the
  precondition must be satisfied.
• P2 if the action is not to be taken, then the
  precondition need not be satisfied.
• P3 if the precondition is satisfied, then the
  action may be taken.
• P4 if the precondition is not satisfied, then
  the action must not be taken.

3
P1

• If the action is to be taken, then the
  precondition must be satisfied.
• Everyday examples drinking alcohol, you have to
  be 21 to do so
• Drinking alcohol (action to be taken)
• Being 21 (precondition)

4
P4

• If the precondition is not satisfied, then the
  action must not be taken.
• E.g., If youre not 21, then you cant drink
  alcohol
• If youre not 21, then you cant gamble
• If youre not a female, then you cant use the
  female restroom

5
P1-P4 apply to everyday situations

• In everyday situations, our minds automatically,
  unconsciously applies the appropriate rules
• In abstract situations, the rules are not
  relevant, and dont apply
• Expect about 10 of the population to get the
  right answer on the Wason selection task

6
Realistic Task

• BEER WATER 16 22
• LAW You have to be 21 or older to drink alcohol
• P1 applies to BEER card (action of drinking
  alcohol) ? therefore investigate age of BEER
  drinker (i.e., turn over that card)

7
(cont.)

• P4 applies to the 16 card (being 21 or over is
  the precondition) ? turn over card to see that
  they are NOT drinking alcohol (action that must
  not be taken)
• We get the right answer by using the pragmatic
  reasoning schemas

8
Application of pragmatic reasoning schemas

• Apply to any real-life situation or
  paper-and-pencil that involves actions and
  preconditions

9
Social Exchange Theory

• Competing theory to explain why people do better
  with realistic or deontic content
• Cosmides, 1989
• Evolutionary theory ? evolution results in some
  critical thinking skills being highly developed
  and others not
• Good at social exchanges If you take a benefit,
  then you pay a cost.

10
More on social exchange theory

• If you get a benefit without a cost ? youre
  cheating
• We are naturally (without training) good at
  finding cheaters
• Also good at noticing the requirements for
  getting a benefit
• Situations in life involving costs, benefits,
  cheaters, or requirements, are situations in
  which we are naturally good at critical thinking

11
Social contracts

• Situations involving two or more people where
  there is some agreement about requirements,
  costs, and benefits
• People are naturally good critical thinkers in
  these situations
• In BEER-WATER example, the social contract is the
  law (specifically, the law with respect to
  drinking age)

12
Abstract situations

• Abstract situations (e.g., EK47 problem) do not
  involve social contracts
• Therefore, we are not naturally good at thinking
  in these situations

13
Heuristic/Analytic Theory

• Evans, 1989
• Do critical thinking in two steps
• First step heuristic part (heuristic
  rule-of-thumb, not guaranteed to work, only a
  guide)
• Second step analytic part

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Heuristics

• People look at a critical thinking problem
• Pick out parts of the problem that seem relevant
  to the solution
• Use heuristics to decide what parts of a problem
  are relevant to a solution
• Occurs quickly and unconsciously

15
Application of heuristic/analytic theory

• Example, EK47 problem
• Rule is if a card has a vowel on one side, then
  it has an even number on the other
• Use heuristic of matching pick out parts of the
  problem that match each other
• E.g., start with E and vowel 4 and even
  number

16
Analytical part

• Apply logical rules that we know to the results
  of the heuristic part
• People make mistakes because they used a
  heuristic (not a guaranteed correct answer) to
  determine what parts of the problem to analyze