Journal article
The Argumentative Theory: Predictions and Empirical Evidence.
- Mercier H Université de Neuchâtel, Rue de la Pierre-à-Mazel 7, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Electronic address: hugo.mercier@gmail.com.
- 2016-07-25
Published in:
- Trends in cognitive sciences. - 2016
English
The argumentative theory of reasoning suggests that the main function of reasoning is to exchange arguments with others. This theory explains key properties of reasoning. When reasoners produce arguments, they are biased and lazy, as can be expected if reasoning is a mechanism that aims at convincing others in interactive contexts. By contrast, reasoners are more objective and demanding when they evaluate arguments provided by others. This fundamental asymmetry between production and evaluation explains the effects of reasoning in different contexts: the more debate and conflict between opinions there is, the more argument evaluation prevails over argument production, resulting in better outcomes. Here I review how the argumentative theory of reasoning helps integrate a wide range of empirical findings in reasoning research.
- Language
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- English
- Open access status
- closed
- Identifiers
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- DOI 10.1016/j.tics.2016.07.001
- PMID 27450708
- Persistent URL
- https://sonar.ch/global/documents/278129
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