Context, Cognition and Conditionals

Context, Cognition and Conditionals

Author: Chi-Hé Elder

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2019-06-24

Total Pages: 279

ISBN-13: 3030137996

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This book proposes a semantic theory of conditionals that can account for (i) the variability in usages that conditional sentences can be put; and (ii) both conditional sentences of the form ‘if p, q’ and those conditional thoughts that are expressed without using ‘if’. It presents theoretical arguments as well as empirical evidence from English and other languages in support of the thesis that an adequate study of conditionals has to go beyond an analysis of specific sentence forms or lexical items. The resulting perspective on conditionals is one in which conditionality is located at a higher level than that of the sentence; namely, at the level of thought. The author argues that it is only through adopting such a perspective, and with it, a commitment to context-dependent semantics, that we can successfully represent conditional utterances as they are used and understood by ordinary language users. It will be of interest to students and scholars working on the semantics of conditionals in the fields of linguistics (especially semantics and pragmatics) and philosophy of language.


Book Synopsis Context, Cognition and Conditionals by : Chi-Hé Elder

Download or read book Context, Cognition and Conditionals written by Chi-Hé Elder and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-06-24 with total page 279 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book proposes a semantic theory of conditionals that can account for (i) the variability in usages that conditional sentences can be put; and (ii) both conditional sentences of the form ‘if p, q’ and those conditional thoughts that are expressed without using ‘if’. It presents theoretical arguments as well as empirical evidence from English and other languages in support of the thesis that an adequate study of conditionals has to go beyond an analysis of specific sentence forms or lexical items. The resulting perspective on conditionals is one in which conditionality is located at a higher level than that of the sentence; namely, at the level of thought. The author argues that it is only through adopting such a perspective, and with it, a commitment to context-dependent semantics, that we can successfully represent conditional utterances as they are used and understood by ordinary language users. It will be of interest to students and scholars working on the semantics of conditionals in the fields of linguistics (especially semantics and pragmatics) and philosophy of language.

Conditional Reasoning

Conditional Reasoning

Author: Raymond Nickerson

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2015-06-12

Total Pages: 368

ISBN-13: 0190203005

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Conditional reasoning is reasoning that involves statements of the sort If A (Antecedent) then C (Consequent). This type of reasoning is ubiquitous; everyone engages in it. Indeed, the ability to do so may be considered a defining human characteristic. Without this ability, human cognition would be greatly impoverished. "What-if" thinking could not occur. There would be no retrospective efforts to understand history by imagining how it could have taken a different course. Decisions that take possible contingencies into account could not be made; there could be no attempts to influence the future by selecting actions on the basis of their expected effects. Despite the commonness and importance of conditional reasoning and the considerable attention it has received from scholars, it remains the subject of much continuing debate. Unsettled questions, both normative and empirical, continue to be asked. What constitutes normative conditional reasoning? How do people engage in it? Does what people do match what would be expected of a rational agent with the abilities and limitations of human beings? If not, how does it deviate and how might people's ability to engage in it be improved? This book reviews the work of prominent psychologists and philosophers on conditional reasoning. It describes empirical research on how people deal with conditional arguments and on how conditional statements are used and interpreted in everyday communication. It examines philosophical and theoretical treatments of the mental processes that support conditional reasoning. Its extensive coverage of the subject makes it an ideal resource for students, teachers, and researchers with a focus on cognition across disciplines.


Book Synopsis Conditional Reasoning by : Raymond Nickerson

Download or read book Conditional Reasoning written by Raymond Nickerson and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2015-06-12 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Conditional reasoning is reasoning that involves statements of the sort If A (Antecedent) then C (Consequent). This type of reasoning is ubiquitous; everyone engages in it. Indeed, the ability to do so may be considered a defining human characteristic. Without this ability, human cognition would be greatly impoverished. "What-if" thinking could not occur. There would be no retrospective efforts to understand history by imagining how it could have taken a different course. Decisions that take possible contingencies into account could not be made; there could be no attempts to influence the future by selecting actions on the basis of their expected effects. Despite the commonness and importance of conditional reasoning and the considerable attention it has received from scholars, it remains the subject of much continuing debate. Unsettled questions, both normative and empirical, continue to be asked. What constitutes normative conditional reasoning? How do people engage in it? Does what people do match what would be expected of a rational agent with the abilities and limitations of human beings? If not, how does it deviate and how might people's ability to engage in it be improved? This book reviews the work of prominent psychologists and philosophers on conditional reasoning. It describes empirical research on how people deal with conditional arguments and on how conditional statements are used and interpreted in everyday communication. It examines philosophical and theoretical treatments of the mental processes that support conditional reasoning. Its extensive coverage of the subject makes it an ideal resource for students, teachers, and researchers with a focus on cognition across disciplines.

Cognition and Conditionals

Cognition and Conditionals

Author: Mike Oaksford

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 420

ISBN-13: 0199233292

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The conditional, if...then, is probably the most important term in natural language and forms the core of systems of logic and mental representation. Cognition and Conditionals is the first volume for over 20 years that brings together recent developments in the cognitive science and psychology of conditional reasoning.


Book Synopsis Cognition and Conditionals by : Mike Oaksford

Download or read book Cognition and Conditionals written by Mike Oaksford and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2010 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The conditional, if...then, is probably the most important term in natural language and forms the core of systems of logic and mental representation. Cognition and Conditionals is the first volume for over 20 years that brings together recent developments in the cognitive science and psychology of conditional reasoning.

The Epistemology of Indicative Conditionals

The Epistemology of Indicative Conditionals

Author: Igor Douven

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 233

ISBN-13: 1107111455

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Addresses central questions concerning conditionals by combining the methods of formal epistemology with those of cognitive psychology.


Book Synopsis The Epistemology of Indicative Conditionals by : Igor Douven

Download or read book The Epistemology of Indicative Conditionals written by Igor Douven and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2016 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Addresses central questions concerning conditionals by combining the methods of formal epistemology with those of cognitive psychology.

Semantics, Pragmatics, Philosophy

Semantics, Pragmatics, Philosophy

Author: Kasia M. Jaszczolt

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2023-03-16

Total Pages: 440

ISBN-13: 1108606938

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Semantics and pragmatics – the study of meaning, and meaning in context, respectively – are two fundamental areas of linguistics, and as such are crucial to our understanding of how meaning is created. However, their theoretical ideas are often introduced without making clear connections between views, theories, and problems. This pioneering volume is both a textbook and a research guide, taking the reader on a journey through language and ultimately enabling them to think about meaning as linguists and philosophers would. Assuming no prior knowledge of linguistics, it introduces semantics, pragmatics, and the philosophy of language, showing how all three fields can address the 'big questions' that run through the study of meaning. It covers key theories and approaches, while also enabling increasingly more sophisticated questions about the interconnected aspects of meaning, with the end goal of preparing the reader to make their own, original contributions to ideas about meaning.


Book Synopsis Semantics, Pragmatics, Philosophy by : Kasia M. Jaszczolt

Download or read book Semantics, Pragmatics, Philosophy written by Kasia M. Jaszczolt and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2023-03-16 with total page 440 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Semantics and pragmatics – the study of meaning, and meaning in context, respectively – are two fundamental areas of linguistics, and as such are crucial to our understanding of how meaning is created. However, their theoretical ideas are often introduced without making clear connections between views, theories, and problems. This pioneering volume is both a textbook and a research guide, taking the reader on a journey through language and ultimately enabling them to think about meaning as linguists and philosophers would. Assuming no prior knowledge of linguistics, it introduces semantics, pragmatics, and the philosophy of language, showing how all three fields can address the 'big questions' that run through the study of meaning. It covers key theories and approaches, while also enabling increasingly more sophisticated questions about the interconnected aspects of meaning, with the end goal of preparing the reader to make their own, original contributions to ideas about meaning.

The Oxford Handbook of Causal Reasoning

The Oxford Handbook of Causal Reasoning

Author: Michael Waldmann

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2017

Total Pages: 769

ISBN-13: 0199399557

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Causal reasoning is one of our most central cognitive competencies, enabling us to adapt to our world. Causal knowledge allows us to predict future events, or diagnose the causes of observed facts. We plan actions and solve problems using knowledge about cause-effect relations. Without our ability to discover and empirically test causal theories, we would not have made progress in various empirical sciences. The handbook brings together the leading researchers in the field of causal reasoning and offers state-of-the-art presentations of theories and research. It provides introductions of competing theories of causal reasoning, and discusses its role in various cognitive functions and domains. The final section presents research from neighboring fields.


Book Synopsis The Oxford Handbook of Causal Reasoning by : Michael Waldmann

Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of Causal Reasoning written by Michael Waldmann and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 769 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Causal reasoning is one of our most central cognitive competencies, enabling us to adapt to our world. Causal knowledge allows us to predict future events, or diagnose the causes of observed facts. We plan actions and solve problems using knowledge about cause-effect relations. Without our ability to discover and empirically test causal theories, we would not have made progress in various empirical sciences. The handbook brings together the leading researchers in the field of causal reasoning and offers state-of-the-art presentations of theories and research. It provides introductions of competing theories of causal reasoning, and discusses its role in various cognitive functions and domains. The final section presents research from neighboring fields.

Psychology of Reasoning

Psychology of Reasoning

Author: Peter Cathcart Wason

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 1972

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13: 9780674721272

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At the core of the "Psychology of Reasoning" is a vigorous discussion that incorporates various illustrations--some of them humorous, all of them fascinating--of the use of reason under a wide variety of different conditions. Particular emphasis is placed on the difficulties involved in dealing with negatively marked information that must be combined and used with other information for reaching conclusions. Thorough treatment is given as well to the search for plausible contexts that will render anomalous or ambiguous statements "sensible."


Book Synopsis Psychology of Reasoning by : Peter Cathcart Wason

Download or read book Psychology of Reasoning written by Peter Cathcart Wason and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 1972 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the core of the "Psychology of Reasoning" is a vigorous discussion that incorporates various illustrations--some of them humorous, all of them fascinating--of the use of reason under a wide variety of different conditions. Particular emphasis is placed on the difficulties involved in dealing with negatively marked information that must be combined and used with other information for reaching conclusions. Thorough treatment is given as well to the search for plausible contexts that will render anomalous or ambiguous statements "sensible."

International Handbook of Thinking and Reasoning

International Handbook of Thinking and Reasoning

Author: Linden J. Ball

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-11-14

Total Pages: 646

ISBN-13: 131753476X

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The Routledge International Handbook of Thinking and Reasoning is an authoritative reference work providing a balanced overview of current scholarship spanning the full breadth of the rapidly developing and expanding field of thinking and reasoning. It contains 35 chapters written by leading international researchers, covering foundational issues as well as state-of-the-art developments in thinking and reasoning research. Topics covered range across all sub-areas of thinking and reasoning, including deduction, induction, abduction, judgment, decision making, argumentation, problem solving, expertise, creativity and rationality. The contributors engage with cutting-edge debates such as the status of dual-process theories of thinking, the role of unconscious, intuitive, emotional and metacognitive processes in thinking, and the importance of probabilistic conceptualisations of thinking and reasoning. Authors also examine the importance of neuroscientific findings in informing theoretical developments, and explore the situated nature of thinking and reasoning across a range of real-world contexts such as mathematics, medicine and science. The Handbook provides a clear sense of the way in which contemporary ideas are challenging traditional viewpoints as "new paradigm of the psychology of reasoning" emerges. This paradigm-shifting research is paving the way toward a richer and more inclusive understanding of thinking and reasoning, where important new questions drive a forward-looking research agenda. It is essential reading for both established researchers in the field of thinking and reasoning as well as advanced students wishing to learn more about both the historical foundations and latest developments in this rapidly growing field.


Book Synopsis International Handbook of Thinking and Reasoning by : Linden J. Ball

Download or read book International Handbook of Thinking and Reasoning written by Linden J. Ball and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-11-14 with total page 646 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Routledge International Handbook of Thinking and Reasoning is an authoritative reference work providing a balanced overview of current scholarship spanning the full breadth of the rapidly developing and expanding field of thinking and reasoning. It contains 35 chapters written by leading international researchers, covering foundational issues as well as state-of-the-art developments in thinking and reasoning research. Topics covered range across all sub-areas of thinking and reasoning, including deduction, induction, abduction, judgment, decision making, argumentation, problem solving, expertise, creativity and rationality. The contributors engage with cutting-edge debates such as the status of dual-process theories of thinking, the role of unconscious, intuitive, emotional and metacognitive processes in thinking, and the importance of probabilistic conceptualisations of thinking and reasoning. Authors also examine the importance of neuroscientific findings in informing theoretical developments, and explore the situated nature of thinking and reasoning across a range of real-world contexts such as mathematics, medicine and science. The Handbook provides a clear sense of the way in which contemporary ideas are challenging traditional viewpoints as "new paradigm of the psychology of reasoning" emerges. This paradigm-shifting research is paving the way toward a richer and more inclusive understanding of thinking and reasoning, where important new questions drive a forward-looking research agenda. It is essential reading for both established researchers in the field of thinking and reasoning as well as advanced students wishing to learn more about both the historical foundations and latest developments in this rapidly growing field.

Language and Social Minds

Language and Social Minds

Author: Vittorio Tantucci

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2021-04-15

Total Pages: 207

ISBN-13: 1108484824

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Proposes a new empirical model to analyse how humans can express social cognition at different levels of complexity.


Book Synopsis Language and Social Minds by : Vittorio Tantucci

Download or read book Language and Social Minds written by Vittorio Tantucci and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2021-04-15 with total page 207 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Proposes a new empirical model to analyse how humans can express social cognition at different levels of complexity.

Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society

Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society

Author: Michael G. Shafto

Publisher: Psychology Press

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 1138

ISBN-13: 9780805829419

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This volume features the complete text of the material presented at the Nineteenth Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society. Papers have been loosely grouped by topic and an author index is provided in the back. As in previous years, the symposium included an interesting mixture of papers on many topics from researchers with diverse backgrounds and different goals, presenting a multifaceted view of cognitive science. In hopes of facilitating searches of this work, an electronic index on the Internet's World Wide Web is provided. Titles, authors, and summaries of all the papers published here have been placed in an online database which may be freely searched by anyone. You can reach the web site at: www-csli.stanford.edu/cogsci97.


Book Synopsis Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society by : Michael G. Shafto

Download or read book Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society written by Michael G. Shafto and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 1997 with total page 1138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume features the complete text of the material presented at the Nineteenth Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society. Papers have been loosely grouped by topic and an author index is provided in the back. As in previous years, the symposium included an interesting mixture of papers on many topics from researchers with diverse backgrounds and different goals, presenting a multifaceted view of cognitive science. In hopes of facilitating searches of this work, an electronic index on the Internet's World Wide Web is provided. Titles, authors, and summaries of all the papers published here have been placed in an online database which may be freely searched by anyone. You can reach the web site at: www-csli.stanford.edu/cogsci97.