This article proposes a unified framework for understanding creative problem solving, namely, the explicit-implicit interaction theory. This new theory of creative problem solving constitutes an attempt at providing a more unified explanation of relevant phenomena (in part by reinterpreting/integrating various fragmentary existing theories of…

How can humans acquire relational representations that enable analogical inference and other forms of high-level reasoning? Using comparative relations as a model domain, we explore the possibility that bottom-up learning mechanisms applied to objects coded as feature vectors can yield representations of relations sufficient to solve analogy…

The 3 most often-used performance measures in the cognitive and decision sciences are choice, response or decision time, and confidence. We develop a random walk/diffusion theory--2-stage dynamic signal detection (2DSD) theory--that accounts for all 3 measures using a common underlying process. The model uses a drift diffusion process to account…

How do people select among different strategies to accomplish a given task? Across disciplines, the strategy selection problem represents a major challenge. We propose a quantitative model that predicts how selection emerges through the interplay among strategies, cognitive capacities, and the environment. This interplay carves out for each…

E. Brandstatter, G. Gigerenzer, and R. Hertwig (2006) showed that the priority heuristic matches or outperforms modifications of expected utility theory in predicting choice in 4 diverse problem sets. M. H. Birnbaum (2008) argued that sets exist in which the opposite is true. The authors agree--but stress that all choice strategies have regions of…

Because learned associations are quickly renewed following extinction, the extinction process must include processes other than unlearning. However, reinforcement learning models, such as the temporal difference reinforcement learning (TDRL) model, treat extinction as an unlearning of associated value and are thus unable to capture renewal. TDRL…

A theory of the lay epistemic process is outlined. An integrative framework is provided that allows consideration of diverse attributional models in common theoretical terms and derivation of the necessary applicability conditions of different such models. (Author/RL)

Several criticisms of Bandura's "reciprocal determinism" are offered: the unidirectional causal account works in cases cited by Bandura; Mackie's criticism of Russell's view of causation also applies to Bandura; and "reciprocal determinism" is a misleading expression when stressing person/environment interactions. (Author/BW)

This article presents a theory of how different types of discrepancies between self-state representations are related to different kinds of emotional vulnerabilities. Correlational and experimental evidence supports the predictions of the model. Differences between self-discrepancy theory and other theories of incompatible self-belief and actual…

A number of models are considered that specify how children and adults solve single-digit addition problems. (Authors)

Information processing research offers a solution to the ambiguity of many concepts in cognitive psychology. The author's definition of intelligence and the structure-of-intellect model offer a systematic collection of rigorously and operationally defined concepts. New evidence for discriminability of the model categories and views of memory and…

Although partially specified goals are sometimes thought to result from the uncertainties of ill-structured problems, analysis of human problem solving shows that indefinite goals are used in solving problems that are otherwise well structured. The example studied is taken from plane geometry and involves proving that two triangles are congruent.…

A new theory of subjective probability is presented. According to this theory, different descriptions of the same event can give rise to different judgments. Experimental evidence supporting this theory is summarized, demonstrating that the theory provides a unified treatment of a wide range of empirical findings. (SLD)

A processing model is presented that deals explicitly with both the text-comprehension and problem-solving aspects of word arithmetic problems. The model simulates construction of cognitive representations at various levels, distinguishes several information processing steps, and analyzes processing requirements that differ among types of…

Ratcliff (1985) simulated data from three letter-matching experiments with his diffusion model. The necessity of including a comparison criterion is consistent with the conclusion of Proctor, Rao, and Hurst (1984) that bias of response criteria, alone, is insufficient to generate the fast-same phenomenon. (Author/LMO)