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Books > Social sciences > Psychology > Cognition & cognitive psychology > Intelligence

Memory and Intelligence (Paperback): Jean Piaget, Barbel Inhelder Memory and Intelligence (Paperback)
Jean Piaget, Barbel Inhelder
R1,496 Discovery Miles 14 960 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

In the course of their researches for Mental Imagery in the Child (1971), the authors came to appreciate that action may be more conducive to the formation and conservation of images than is mere perception. This raised the problem of memory and its relation to intelligence, which they examine in this title, originally published in English in 1973. Through the analysis primarily of the child's capacity for remembering additive and multiplicative logical structures, and his remembrance of causal and spatial structures, the authors investigate whether memories pursue their own course, regardless of the intelligence or whether, in specified conditions, mnemonic improvements may be due to progress in intelligence. They examine the relationship between the memory's figurative aspects (from perceptive recognition to the memory-image) and its operational aspects (the schemata of the intelligence), and stress the fundamental significance of the mnemonic level known as the 'reconstructive memory'. This was a pioneering work at the time, presenting illuminating conclusions drawn from extensive research, together with a number of constructive ideas which opened up a fresh approach to an important area of educational psychology.

Thinking and Reasoning (Paperback): A. Garnham Thinking and Reasoning (Paperback)
A. Garnham
R1,537 Discovery Miles 15 370 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

In this introduction presents a wide range of research on all aspects of thinking and reasoning. Thinking has been studied in many ways, and has been analyzed from many theoretical viewpoints. "Thinking and Reasoning" draws on a variety of approaches but locates its subject matter squarely within the theoretical framework of modern cognitive psychology and cognitive science. After a brief historical introduction, the book covers all core areas of thinking and reasoning: concepts and images, the relation between language and thought, logic and deductive reasoning, induction, hypothesis testing, statistical reasoning, decision making, problem solving, expertise, creativity, everyday thinking, the teaching of thinking skills, and the development of thinking.

"Thinking and Reasoning" includes an abundance of illustrative examples of reasoning problems, many of which the reader can attempt to solve before reading on to find the solution. This text will provide the ideal introduction to thinking and reasoning.

Cognition and Conditionals - Probability and Logic in Human Thinking (Hardcover): Mike Oaksford, Nick Chater Cognition and Conditionals - Probability and Logic in Human Thinking (Hardcover)
Mike Oaksford, Nick Chater
R2,218 Discovery Miles 22 180 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The conditional, if...then, is probably the most important term in natural language and forms the core of systems of logic and mental representation. It occurs in all human languages and allows people to express their knowledge of the causal or law-like structure of the world and of others' behaviour, e.g., if you turn the key the car starts, if John walks the dog he stops for a pint of beer; to make promises, e.g., if you cook tonight, I'll wash up all week; to regulate behaviour, e.g., if you are drinking beer, you must be over 18 years of age; to suggest what would have happened had things been different, e.g., if the match had been dry it would have lit, among many other possible uses. The way in which the conditional is modelled also determines the core of most logical systems. Unsurprisingly, it is also the most researched expression in the psychology of human reasoning.
Cognition and Conditionals is the first volume for over 20 years (On Conditionals, 1986, CUP) that brings together recent developments in the cognitive science and psychology of conditional reasoning. Over the last 10 to 15 years, research on conditionals has come to dominate the psychology of reasoning providing a rich seam of results that have created new theoretical possibilities. This book shows how these developments have led researchers to view people's conditional reasoning behaviour more as succesful probabilistic reasoning rather than as errorful logical reasoning. It shows how the multifarious, and apparently competing, theoretical positions developed over the last 50 years in this area - mental logics, mental models, heuristic approaches, dual process theory, and probabilistic approaches-have responded to these insights. Its organisation reflects the view that an integrative approach is emerging that may need to exploit aspects of all these theoretical positions to explain the rich and complex phenomenon of reasoning with conditionals. It includes an introductory chapter relating the development of the psychology of reasoning to developments in the logic and semantics of the conditional. It also includes chapters by many of the leading figures in this field.
Cognition and Conditionals will be a valuable resource for cognitive scientists, psychologists and philosophers interested how people actually reason with conditionals.

Rationality and Reflection - How to Think About What to Think (Paperback): Jonathan L. Kvanvig Rationality and Reflection - How to Think About What to Think (Paperback)
Jonathan L. Kvanvig
R827 Discovery Miles 8 270 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Jonathan L. Kvanvig presents a conception of rationality which answers to the need arising out of the egocentric predicament concerning what to do and what to believe. He does so in a way that avoids, on the one hand, reducing rationality to the level of beasts, and on the other hand, elevating it so that only the most reflective among us are capable of rational beliefs. Rationality and Reflection sets out a theory of rationality-a theory about how to determine what to think-which defends a significant degree of optionality in the story of what is reasonable for people to think, and thereby provides a framework for explaining what kinds of rational disagreement are possible. The theory is labelled Perspectivalism and it offers a unique account of rationality, one that cuts across the usual distinctions between Foundationalism and Coherentism and between Internalism and Externalism. It also differs significantly from Evidentialism, maintaining that, to the extent that rationality is connected to the notion of evidence, it is a function both of the evidence one has and what one makes of it.

Decision Making and Rationality in the Modern World (Paperback): Keith E. Stanovich Decision Making and Rationality in the Modern World (Paperback)
Keith E. Stanovich
R1,616 Discovery Miles 16 160 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

In Decision Making and Rationality in the Modern World, Keith E. Stanovich demonstrates how work in the cognitive psychology of decision making has implications for the large and theoretically contentious debates about the nature of human rationality. Written specifically for undergraduate psychology students, the book presents a very practical approach to decision making, which is too often perceived by students as an artificial set of skills used only in academia and not in the real world. Instead, Stanovich shows how good decision-making procedures support rational behavior that enables people to act most efficiently to fulfill their goals. He explains how the concept of rationality is understood in cognitive science in terms of good decision making and judgment.
Books in the Fundamentals of Cognition series serve as ideal instructional resources for advanced courses in cognitive psychology. They provide an up-to-date, well-organized survey of our current understanding of the major theories of cognitive psychology. The books are concise, which allows instructors to incorporate the latest original research and readings into their courses without overburdening their students. Focused without being too advanced--and comprehensive without being too broad--these books are the perfect resource for both students and instructors.

The Norm of Belief (Paperback): John Gibbons The Norm of Belief (Paperback)
John Gibbons
R853 Discovery Miles 8 530 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

John Gibbons presents an original account of epistemic normativity. Belief seems to come with a built-in set of standards or norms. One task is to say where these standards come from. But the more basic task is to say what those standards are. In some sense, beliefs are supposed to be true. Perhaps they're supposed to constitute knowledge. And in some sense, they really ought to be reasonable. Which, if any of these is the fundamental norm of belief? The Norm of Belief argues against the teleological or instrumentalist conception of rationality that sees being reasonable as a means to our more objective aims, either knowledge or truth. And it tries to explain both the norms of knowledge and of truth in terms of the fundamental norm, the one that tells you to be reasonable. But the importance of being reasonable is not explained in terms of what it will get you, or what you think it will get you, or what it would get you if only things were different. The requirement to be reasonable comes from the very idea of what a genuine requirement is. That is where the built-in standards governing belief come from, and that is what they are.

Individual Differences in Judgement and Decision-Making - A Developmental Perspective (Paperback): Maggie E. Toplak, Joshua... Individual Differences in Judgement and Decision-Making - A Developmental Perspective (Paperback)
Maggie E. Toplak, Joshua Weller
R1,600 Discovery Miles 16 000 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Children face an overwhelming amount of information and a range of different choices every day, and so there has never been a more important time to understand how children learn to make judgments and decisions in our modern world. Individual Differences in Judgment and Decision-Making presents cutting-edge developmental research to advance our knowledge and understanding of how these competencies emerge. Focusing on the role of individual differences, the text provides a complementary theoretical approach to understanding the development of judgment and decision-making skills, and how and why these competencies vary within and between different periods of development. Sampling a diverse set of developmental paradigms and measures, as well as considering typical and atypically developing samples, this volume provokes thinking about how we can support our children and youth to help them make better choices. Drawing on the expertise of a range of international contributors, this book will be of interest to students and researchers of thinking and reasoning from both cognitive and developmental psychology backgrounds.

Problem Solving - Perspectives from Cognition and Neuroscience (Hardcover, 2nd edition): S. Ian Robertson Problem Solving - Perspectives from Cognition and Neuroscience (Hardcover, 2nd edition)
S. Ian Robertson
R4,171 Discovery Miles 41 710 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The way that we assess and overcome problems is an essential part of everyday life. Problem Solving provides a clear introduction to the underlying mental processes involved in solving problems. Drawing on research from cognitive psychology and neuroscience, it examines the methods and techniques used by both novices and experts in familiar and unfamiliar situations. This edition has been comprehensively updated throughout, and now features cutting-edge content on creative problem solving, insight and neuroscience. Each chapter is written in an accessible way, and contains a range of student-friendly features such as activities, chapter summaries and further reading. The book also provides clear examples of studies and approaches that help the reader fully understand important and complex concepts in greater detail. Problem Solving fully engages the reader with the difficulties and methodologies associated with problem solving. This book will be of great use to undergraduate students of cognitive psychology, education and neuroscience, as well as readers and professionals with an interest in problem solving.

The Thinking Mind - A Festschrift for Ken Manktelow (Hardcover): Niall Galbraith, Erica Lucas, David Over The Thinking Mind - A Festschrift for Ken Manktelow (Hardcover)
Niall Galbraith, Erica Lucas, David Over
R4,170 Discovery Miles 41 700 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The field of thinking has undergone a revolution in recent years, opening itself up to new perspectives and applications. The traditional focus on laboratory-based thinking has transformed as theoretical work is now being applied to new contexts and real-world issues. This volume presents a state-of-the-art survey of human thinking in everyday life, based around, and in tribute to, one of the field's most eminent figures: Ken Manktelow. In this collection of cutting-edge research, Manktelow's collaborators and colleagues review a wide range of important and developing areas of inquiry. This book explores modern perspectives on a variety of traditional and contemporary topics, including Wason's reasoning tasks, logic, meta-reasoning, and the effect of environment and context on reasoning. The Thinking Mind offers a unique combination of breadth, depth, theoretical exploration and real-world applications, making it an indispensable resource for researchers and students of human thinking.

Individual Differences in Arithmetic - Implications for Psychology, Neuroscience and Education (Hardcover, 2nd edition): Ann... Individual Differences in Arithmetic - Implications for Psychology, Neuroscience and Education (Hardcover, 2nd edition)
Ann Dowker
R3,879 Discovery Miles 38 790 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Arithmetic is still hugely important in many aspects of modern life, but our personal attitudes to it differ greatly. Many people struggle with the basic principles of arithmetic, whilst others love it and feel confident in their arithmetical abilities. Why are there so many individual differences in people's performance in, and feelings about, arithmetic? Individual Differences in Arithmetic explores the idea that there is no such thing as arithmetical ability, only arithmetical abilities. The book discusses several important components of arithmetic, from counting principles and procedures to arithmetical estimation, alongside emotional and cognitive components of arithmetical performance. This edition has been extensively revised to include the latest research, including recent cross-cultural and cross-linguistic research, the development of new interventions for children with difficulties and studies of early foundations of mathematical abilities. Drawing on developmental, educational, cognitive and neuropsychological studies, this book will be essential reading for all researchers of mathematical cognition. It will also be of interest to educators and other professionals working within individuals with arithmetic deficits.

Individual Differences in Arithmetic - Implications for Psychology, Neuroscience and Education (Paperback, 2nd edition): Ann... Individual Differences in Arithmetic - Implications for Psychology, Neuroscience and Education (Paperback, 2nd edition)
Ann Dowker
R1,282 Discovery Miles 12 820 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Arithmetic is still hugely important in many aspects of modern life, but our personal attitudes to it differ greatly. Many people struggle with the basic principles of arithmetic, whilst others love it and feel confident in their arithmetical abilities. Why are there so many individual differences in people's performance in, and feelings about, arithmetic? Individual Differences in Arithmetic explores the idea that there is no such thing as arithmetical ability, only arithmetical abilities. The book discusses several important components of arithmetic, from counting principles and procedures to arithmetical estimation, alongside emotional and cognitive components of arithmetical performance. This edition has been extensively revised to include the latest research, including recent cross-cultural and cross-linguistic research, the development of new interventions for children with difficulties and studies of early foundations of mathematical abilities. Drawing on developmental, educational, cognitive and neuropsychological studies, this book will be essential reading for all researchers of mathematical cognition. It will also be of interest to educators and other professionals working within individuals with arithmetic deficits.

Sensemaking - What Makes Human Intelligence Essential in the Age of the Algorithm (Paperback): Christian Madsbjerg Sensemaking - What Makes Human Intelligence Essential in the Age of the Algorithm (Paperback)
Christian Madsbjerg 1
R260 R230 Discovery Miles 2 300 Save R30 (12%) Ships in 5 - 7 working days

A FINANCIAL TIMES BUSINESS BOOK OF THE MONTH (APRIL 2017) Humans have become subservient to algorithms. Every day brings a new Moneyball fix - a maths whiz who will crack open an industry with clean fact-based analysis rather than human intuition and experience. As a result, we have stopped thinking. Machines do it for us. Christian Madsbjerg argues that our fixation with data often masks stunning deficiencies, and the risks for humankind are enormous. Blind devotion to number crunching imperils our businesses, our educations, our governments, and our life savings. Too many companies have lost touch with the humanity of their customers, while marginalising workers with arts-based skills. Contrary to popular thinking, Madsbjerg shows how many of today's biggest success stories stem not from 'quant' thinking but from deep, nuanced engagement with culture, language, and history. He calls his method sensemaking. In this landmark book, Madsbjerg lays out five principles for how business leaders, entrepreneurs, and individuals can use it to solve their thorniest problems. He profiles companies using sensemaking to connect with new customers, and takes readers inside the work process of sensemaking 'connoisseurs' like investor George Soros, architect Bjarke Ingels, and others. Both practical and philosophical, Sensemaking is a powerful rejoinder to corporate groupthink and an indispensable resource for leaders and innovators who want to stand out from the pack.

Rationality and Reflection - How to Think About What to Think (Hardcover): Jonathan L. Kvanvig Rationality and Reflection - How to Think About What to Think (Hardcover)
Jonathan L. Kvanvig
R2,057 Discovery Miles 20 570 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Jonathan L. Kvanvig presents a conception of rationality which answers to the need arising out of the egocentric predicament concerning what to do and what to believe. He does so in a way that avoids, on the one hand, reducing rationality to the level of beasts, and on the other hand, elevating it so that only the most reflective among us are capable of rational beliefs. Rationality and Reflection sets out a theory of rationality-a theory about how to determine what to think-which defends a significant degree of optionality in the story of what is reasonable for people to think, and thereby provides a framework for explaining what kinds of rational disagreement are possible. The theory is labelled Perspectivalism and it offers a unique account of rationality, one that cuts across the usual distinctions between Foundationalism and Coherentism and between Internalism and Externalism. It also differs significantly from Evidentialism, maintaining that, to the extent that rationality is connected to the notion of evidence, it is a function both of the evidence one has and what one makes of it.

Foundations of Metacognition (Hardcover, New): Michael J Beran, Johannes Brandl, Josef Perner, Jo elle Proust Foundations of Metacognition (Hardcover, New)
Michael J Beran, Johannes Brandl, Josef Perner, Jo elle Proust
R3,203 Discovery Miles 32 030 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Metacognition refers to the awareness an individual has of their own mental processes (also referred to as ' thinking about thinking'). In the past thirty years metacognition research has become a rapidly growing field of interdisciplinary research within the cognitive sciences. Just recently, there have been major changes in this field, stimulated by the controversial issues of metacognition in nonhuman animals and in early infancy. Consequently the question what defines a metacognitive process has become a matter of debate: how should one distinguish between simple minds that are not yet capable of any metacognitive processing, and minds with a more advanced architecture that exhibit such a capacity? Do nonhuman animals process the ability to monitor their own mental actions? If metacognition is unique to humans, then at what stage in development does it occur, and how can we distinguish between cognitive and metacognitive processes?
The Foundations of Metacognition brings together leading cognitive scientists to consider these questions. It explores them from three different perspectives: from an evolutionary point of view the authors ask whether there is sufficient evidence that some non-human primates or other animals monitor their mental states and thereby exhibit a form of metacognition. From a developmental perspective the authors ask when children start to monitor, evaluate und control their own minds. And from a philosophical point of view the main issue is how to draw the line between cognitive and metacognitive processes, and how to integrate the different functions in which metacognition is involved into a single coherent picture of the mind. The foundations of metacognition - whatever they will turn out to be - have to be as complex as this pattern of connections we discover in its effects.
Bringing together researchers from across the cognitive sciences, the book is valuable for philosophers of mind, developmental and comparative psychologists, and neuroscientists.

IQ and Human Intelligence (Paperback, 2nd Revised edition): Nicholas MacKintosh IQ and Human Intelligence (Paperback, 2nd Revised edition)
Nicholas MacKintosh
R1,925 Discovery Miles 19 250 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The question 'What is intelligence?' may seem simple to answer, but the study and measurement of human intelligence is one of the most controversial subjects in psychology. For much of its history, the focus has been on differences between people, on what it means for one person to be more intelligent than another, and how such differences might have arisen, obscuring efforts to understand the general nature of intelligence. These are obviously fundamental questions, still widely debated and misunderstood. New definitions of intelligence and new factors affecting intelligence are frequently being described, while psychometric testing is applied in most large industries.
IQ and Human Intelligence provides a clear, authoritative overview of the main issues surrounding this fascinating area, including the development of IQ tests, the heritability of intelligence, theories of intelligence, environmental effects on IQ, factor analysis, relationship of cognitive psychology to measuring IQ, and intelligence in the social context. The clear, accessible style and numerous explanatory boxes make this the ideal text for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in psychology.
Online Resource Centre
The Online Resource Centre to accompany IQ and Human Intelligence features the following resources:
For registered adopters of the text:
- Figures from the book, available to download
For students:
- Hyperlinks to primary literature articles cited in the and 'Further Reading' sections of the book

Essentials of Nonverbal Assessment (Paperback): S. McCallum Essentials of Nonverbal Assessment (Paperback)
S. McCallum
R1,231 Discovery Miles 12 310 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Quickly acquire the knowledge and skills you need to confidently administer, score, and interpret nonverbal assessment tests

Essentials of Nonverbal Assessment covers the nine most widely used nonverbal assessment tests––the Comprehensive Test of Nonverbal Intelligence (C-TONI); Tests of Nonverbal Intelligence-III (TONI-III); Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT); Leiter-R; Beta, Third Edition (Beta-III); Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT); General Ability Measure for Adults (GAMA); Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test, Multilevel Form (NNAT); and Raven’s Progress Matrices. To use the tests properly, professionals need an authoritative source of advice and guidance on how to administer, score, and interpret these tests. Written by Drs. McCallum and Bracken (creators of the UNIT) and Dr. Wasserman of the University of Tennessee, Essentials of Nonverbal Assessment is that source. Like all the volumes in the Essentials of Psychological Assessment series, this book is designed to help busy mental health professionals quickly acquire the knowledge and skills they need to make optimal use of major psychological assessment instruments. Each concise chapter features numerous callout boxes highlighting key concepts, bulleted points, and extensive illustrative material, as well as test questions that help you gauge and reinforce your grasp of the information covered.

Essentials of Nonverbal Assessment includes vital information about each of the nonverbal tests, including practical interpretation scales. The authors provide step-by-step guidance on test administration, scoring, and interpretation, along with their expert assessment of the tests’ relative strengths and weaknesses, valuable advice on their clinical applications, and several illuminating case reports.

Other titles in the Essentials of Psychological Assessment series:

Essentials of WAIS-III Assessmen

Essentials of Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II Assessment

Essentials of WISC-III and WPPSI-R Assessment

Essentials of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® Assessment

Essentials of Rorschach Assessment

Essentials of Career Interest Assessment

Essentials of Cognitive Assessment with KAIT and Other Kaufman Measures

Essentials of Cross-Battery Assessment

Social Intelligence - The New Science of Success (Paperback): Karl Albrecht Social Intelligence - The New Science of Success (Paperback)
Karl Albrecht
R485 R389 Discovery Miles 3 890 Save R96 (20%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Karl Albrecht defines social intelligence (SI) as the ability to get along well with others while winning their cooperation. SI is a combination of sensitivity to the needs and interests of others, sometimes called your "social radar," an attitude of generosity and consideration, and a set of practical skills for interacting successfully with people in any setting. "Social Intelligence" provides a highly accessible and comprehensive model for describing, assessing, and developing social intelligence at a personal level. This book is filled with intriguing concepts, enlightening examples, stories, cases, situational strategies, and a self-assessment tool - all designed to help you learn to navigate social situations more successfully.

Oxford Handbook of Human Action (Hardcover, New): Ezequiel Morsella, John A. Bargh, Peter M. Gollwitzer Oxford Handbook of Human Action (Hardcover, New)
Ezequiel Morsella, John A. Bargh, Peter M. Gollwitzer
R3,524 Discovery Miles 35 240 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

In the last decade, there has been a tremendous surge of research on the mechanisms of human action. This volume brings together this new knowledge in a single, concise source, covering most if not all of the basic questions regarding human action: what are the mechanisms by which action plans are acquired, mentally represented, activated, selected, and expressed? The chapters provide up-to-date summaries of the published research on this question, with an emphasis on underlying mechanisms. This 'bible' of action research brings together the current thinking of eminent researchers in the domains of motor control, behavioural and cognitive neuroscience, psycholinguistics, biology, as well as cognitive, developmental, social, and motivational psychology. It represents a determined multidisciplinary effort, spanning across various areas of science as well as national boundaries.

Bayesian Rationality - The probabilistic approach to human reasoning (Hardcover): Mike Oaksford, Nick Chater Bayesian Rationality - The probabilistic approach to human reasoning (Hardcover)
Mike Oaksford, Nick Chater
R3,712 Discovery Miles 37 120 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Are people rational? This question was central to Greek thought; and has been at the heart of psychology and philosophy for millennia. This book provides a radical and controversial reappraisal of conventional wisdom in the psychology of reasoning, proposing that the Western conception of the mind as a logical system is flawed at the very outset. It argues that cognition should be understood in terms of probability theory, the calculus of uncertain reasoning, rather than in terms of logic, the calculus of certain reasoning.

Beyond Rationality - The Search for Wisdom in a Troubled Time (Hardcover): Kenneth R. Hammond Beyond Rationality - The Search for Wisdom in a Troubled Time (Hardcover)
Kenneth R. Hammond
R1,481 Discovery Miles 14 810 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

With Beyond Rationality, Kenneth R. Hammond, one of the most respected and experienced experts in judgment and decision-making, sums up his life's work and persuasively argues that decisions should be based on balance and pragmatism rather than rigid ideologies.
Hammond has long focused on the dichotomy between theories of correspondence, whereby arguments correspond with reality, and coherence, whereby arguments strive to be internally consistent. He has persistently proposed a middle approach that draws from both of these modes of thought and so avoids the blunders of either extreme. In this volume, Hammond shows how particular ways of thinking that are common in the political process have led to the mistaken judgments that created our current political crisis. He illustrates this argument by analyzing penetrating case studies emphasizing the political consequences that arise when decision makers consciously or unconsciously ignore their adversaries' particular mode of thought. These analyses range from why Kennedy and Khruschev misunderstood each other to why Colin Powell erred in his judgments over the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. For anyone concerned about the current state of politics in the U.S. and where it will lead us, Beyond Rationality is required reading.

How We Reason (Hardcover): Philip Johnson-Laird How We Reason (Hardcover)
Philip Johnson-Laird
R2,220 Discovery Miles 22 200 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Good reasoning can lead to success; bad reasoning can lead to catastrophe. Yet, it's not obvious how we reason, and why we make mistakes - so much of our mental life goes on outside our awareness. In recent years huge strides have been made into developing a scientific understanding of reasoning. This new book by one of the pioneers of the field, Philip Johnson-Laird, looks at the mental processes that underlie our reasoning. It provides the most accessible account yet of the science of reasoning. We can all reason from our childhood onwards - but how? 'How we reason' outlines a bold approach to understanding reasoning. According to this approach, we don't rely on the laws of logic or probability - we reason by thinking about what's possible, we reason by seeing what is common to the possibilities. As the book shows, this approach can answer many of the questions about how we reason, and what causes mistakes in our reasoning that can lead to disasters such as Chernobyl. It shows why our irrational fears may become psychological illnesses, why terrorists develop 'crazy' ideologies, and how we can act in order to improve our reasoning. The book ends by looking at the role of reasoning in three extraordinary case histories: the Wright brothers' use of analogies in inventing their flyer, the cryptanalysts' deductions in breaking the German's Enigma code in World War II, and Dr. John Snow's inductive reasoning in discovering how cholera spread from one person to another. Accessible, stimulating, and controversial, How we Reason presents a bold new approach to understanding one of the most intriguing facets of being human.

Elements of Logical Reasoning (Paperback, New): Jan von Plato Elements of Logical Reasoning (Paperback, New)
Jan von Plato
R729 Discovery Miles 7 290 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Some of our earliest experiences of the conclusive force of an argument come from school mathematics: faced with a mathematical proof, we cannot deny the conclusion once the premises have been accepted. Behind such arguments lies a more general pattern of 'demonstrative arguments' that is studied in the science of logic. Logical reasoning is applied at all levels, from everyday life to advanced sciences, and a remarkable level of complexity is achieved in everyday logical reasoning, even if the principles behind it remain intuitive. Jan von Plato provides an accessible but rigorous introduction to an important aspect of contemporary logic: its deductive machinery. He shows that when the forms of logical reasoning are analysed, it turns out that a limited set of first principles can represent any logical argument. His book will be valuable for students of logic, mathematics and computer science.

Animal Innovation (Paperback): Simon M. Reader, Kevin N. Laland Animal Innovation (Paperback)
Simon M. Reader, Kevin N. Laland
R1,816 Discovery Miles 18 160 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

In 1953 a young female Japanese macaque called Imo began washing sweet potatoes before eating them, presumably to remove dirt and sand grains. Soon other monkeys had adopted this behaviour, and potato-washing gradually spread throughout the troop. When, three years after her first invention, Imo devised a second novel foraging behaviour, that of separating wheat from sand by throwing mixed handfuls into water and scooping out the floating grains, she was almost instantly heralded around the world as a 'monkey genius'. Imo is probably the most celebrated of animal innovators. In fact, many animals will invent new behaviour patterns, adjust established behaviours to a novel context, or respond to stresses in an appropriate and novel manner.

Innovation is an important component of behavioural flexibility, vital to the survival of individuals in species with generalist or opportunistic lifestyles, and potentially of critical importance to those endangered or threatened species forced to adjust to changed or impoverished environments. Innovation may also have played a central role in avian and primate brain evolution. Yet until recently animal innovation has been subject to almost complete neglect by behavioural biologists, psychologists, social learning researchers, and conservation-minded biologists.

This collection of stimulating and readable articles by leading scientific authorities is the first ever book on 'animal innovation', designed to put the topic of animal innovation on the map and heighten awareness of this developing field.

Decision Advantage - Intelligence in International Politics from the Spanish Armada to Cyberwar (Hardcover): Jennifer E Sims Decision Advantage - Intelligence in International Politics from the Spanish Armada to Cyberwar (Hardcover)
Jennifer E Sims
R1,327 R1,217 Discovery Miles 12 170 Save R110 (8%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

A history of winning intelligence practices from the Spanish Armada to Cyberwar that offers timeless, practical lessons we ignore at our peril. According to conventional wisdom, strategic surprise and other intelligence failures are both inevitable and ultimately irrelevant because, at least in international politics and war, military muscle matters more than brains. In Decision Advantage, Jennifer E. Sims counters this argument by investigating the history of intelligence through centuries of international conflict, including the 16th Century's Spanish Armada, two US Civil War battles, the hunt for President Lincoln's assassin, and key diplomatic crises before the two World Wars. Sims dives deep into these events to show that the competitive pursuit of intelligence advantage has been a measurable, buildable, and consequential form of power that can help competitors win against otherwise stronger opponents. From these observations, the author develops a general guide to building intelligence readiness, whether for war, diplomacy, or international manhunts. Refuting arguments that intelligence is a sideshow because intentions are unknowable and predictions risky, she redefines success as gaining information advantages over an adversary, prescribes four practical pathways for gaining them, and confirms what seems to be simple common sense: smart competitors know how to learn, and the ones who learn best tend to win. Thinking of intelligence in this way, Sims argues, adds a moral character to an enterprise that is too often mired in excessive secrecy and tyrannical agendas. By "lifting the veil" on international politics, Decision Advantage shows how good intelligence can lessen the likelihood of wars of misperception and folly.

Similarity and Categorization (Hardcover): Ulrike Hahn, Michael Ramscar Similarity and Categorization (Hardcover)
Ulrike Hahn, Michael Ramscar
R4,518 Discovery Miles 45 180 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Understanding how objects are partitioned into useful groups to form concepts is important to most disciplines. Concepts allow us to treat different objects equivalently according to shared attributes, and hence to communicate about, draw inferences from, reason with, and explain these objects. Understanding how concepts are formed and used is thus essential to understanding and applying these basic processes, and the topic of similarity-based classification is central to psychology, artificial intelligence, statistics, and philosophy. Similarity and Categorisation provides a uniquely interdisciplinary overview of this area. The book brings together leading researchers, reflecting the key topics and important developments in the field. It will be of interest to researchers and graduate students within the areas of cognitive psychology, artificial intelligence, and philosophy.

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Morton Wagman Hardcover R2,693 Discovery Miles 26 930
The Psychology of Insecurity - Seeking…
Joseph P. Forgas, William D. Crano, … Paperback R1,336 Discovery Miles 13 360

 

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