Razonamiento con condicionales múltiples. La perspectiva de los modelos mentales

Abstract

Multi-conditional problems can be used to corripare the mental model theory and mental rule theories of deductive reasoriing. The two theories make coiitrasting predictions about performance. The mental model theory relates the difficulty of a problem with the number of models the reasoner has to construct, whereas inentul rule theories explain this difficulty
in terms of the number and complexity of the rues of inference to be applied. Experiment 1 tested the fivo theories using multiconditional problems and measured both accuracy and latency. The results supported the mental model theory, but there was a ceiling effect for accuracy and some unexpected time measurements. In experiment 2 the ceiling effect disappeared, and the mental rnodel theory was again corroborated. The paper discusses when reasoners are likely to construct mental models, the limitations of the human cognitive system and its strategic nature.