ERIC Number: EJ747074
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006
Pages: 26
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0364-0213
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Available Date: N/A
A Model of Plausibility
Connell, Louise; Keane, Mark T.
Cognitive Science, v30 n1 p95-120 2006
Plausibility has been implicated as playing a critical role in many cognitive phenomena from comprehension to problem solving. Yet, across cognitive science, plausibility is usually treated as an operationalized variable or metric rather than being explained or studied in itself. This article describes a new cognitive model of plausibility, the Plausibility Analysis Model (PAM), which is aimed at modeling human plausibility judgment. This model uses commonsense knowledge of concept-coherence to determine the degree of plausibility of a target scenario. In essence, a highly plausible scenario is one that fits prior knowledge well: with many different sources of corroboration, without complexity of explanation, and with minimal conjecture. A detailed simulation of empirical plausibility findings is reported, which shows a close correspondence between the model and human judgments. In addition, a sensitivity analysis demonstrates that PAM is robust in its operations.
Descriptors: Prior Learning, Models, Comprehension, Problem Solving, Evaluative Thinking, Cognitive Psychology, Cognitive Processes, Simulation, Observation, Credibility
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. 10 Industrial Avenue, Mahwah, NJ 07430. Tel: 800-926-6579; Tel: 201-258-2200; Fax: 201-236-0072; e-mail: journals@erlbaum.com; Web site: https://www.erlbaum.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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Authoring Institution: N/A
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