Analogy
Analogies help highlight similarities between different situations. Sometimes they just help us make pretty prose and literary points; however, they can also help us with problem solving. Is analogical reasoning responsible for creative solutions and “aha!” moments of insight?
Primary Readings
Everyone should read these and be prepared to discuss.
| Gentner, D. (1983) | Structure-mapping: A theoretical framework for analogy. Cognitive Science, 7(2), 155-170. |
| Gick, M. L., & Holyoak, K. J. (1980) | Analogical problem solving. Cognitive Psychology, 12(3), 306-355. |
Secondary Readings
The presenter should read and incorporate these.
| Gentner, D., & Forbus, K. D. (2011). | Computational models of analogy. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, 2(3), 266-276.
Just a review of the proliferation of models of analogy since the structure mapping engine. |
| Medin, D. L., Goldstone, R. L., & Gentner, D. (1993) | Respects for similarity. Psychological Review, 100(2), 254.This article discusses the concept of similarity and its importance in various psychological theories. The authors argue against the view that similarity is determined solely by perceptual processes and propose that it is influenced by the comparison process itself. They address criticisms of similarity and suggest that specific similarities between objects, known as “respects,” are crucial for understanding similarity. The passages also explore different models and measures of similarity, the role of context and experience in similarity judgments, and the influence of comparison processes on similarity assessments. They discuss the importance of alignment in determining similarities and differences between objects and the role of constraints and global constraint satisfaction in similarity judgments. The passages highlight the dynamic and context-dependent nature of similarity and the need for further research in this area. |
Questions under discussion
- How is analogical reasoning different from similarity based reasoning?
