Thinking and Reasoning (Psychology Revivals)

Book excerpt: The subject of thinking is the oldest in the whole science of psychology, going back to well before the separation of the disciplines of philosophy and psychology. Originally published in 1983, this collection of up-to-date critical essays about thinking – with particular emphasis on reasoning – is written from the perspective of psychologists who are themselves actively engaged in research into the nature of human thought. The editor’s introduction identifies the major issues which have traditionally concerned students of human thought, and provides an historical background. It describes how at first the subject was studied by introspection, and how this method fell into disrepute at the end of last century. A satisfactory alternative has not yet emerged, although much recent work is based on the information-processing model, which sees the brain as a sophisticated computer. Consequently the papers presented in this volume deal with a wide range of issues, and a number of different experimental tasks and paradigms. They cover most current approaches to the theory and methodology of cognitive psychology, including problem solving, the relationship between language and thought, and reasoning.