The role of perceptually represented structure in analogical problem solving

Current models of analogical reasoning assume that representations of source examples and target problems occur in an amodal format--that is, a representation whose construction and processing are independent of activity in the perceptual and motor cortices of the brain. We examined the possible use...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Memory & cognition 2006-07, Vol.34 (5), p.1126-1132
Main Authors: CATRAMBONE, Richard, CRAIG, David L, NERSESSIAN, Nancy J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alliances
Biological and medical sciences
Cognition & reasoning
Cognition. Intelligence
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Imagination
Kinesthesis
Mental Recall
Orientation
Perceptions
Probability Learning
Problem Solving
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Radiation
Reading
Reasoning. Problem solving
Studies
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Summary:Current models of analogical reasoning assume that representations of source examples and target problems occur in an amodal format--that is, a representation whose construction and processing are independent of activity in the perceptual and motor cortices of the brain. We examined the possible use of kinesthetic information--perceptual structures associated with the sensation of space and force--in the representation of source examples and target problems. Participants who recreated a source story while acting out the key elements were more likely to access the story when later working on the target problem than were participants who only verbally recreated the story or who verbally recreated it as well as sketched it. We argue that enactment made kinesthetic and spatial features more salient in participants' source story representations and that this aided performance. These results suggest that current models of analogical reasoning might be improved by including perceptual information as part of their representational schemes.
ISSN:0090-502X
1532-5946
DOI:10.3758/BF03193258