Advanced search
1 file | 3.32 MB Add to list

Relational complexity influences analogical reasoning ability

(2023) ISCIENCE. 26(4).
Author
Organization
Abstract
Human language without analogy is like a zebra without stripes. The ability to un-derstand analogies, or to engage in relational reasoning, has been argued to be an important distinction between the cognitive abilities of human and non-human animals. Current studies have failed to robustly show that animals can perform more complex, relational discriminations, in part because such tests rely on lin-guistic or symbolic experiences, and therefore are not suitable for evaluating analogical reasoning in animals. We report on a methodological approach allow-ing for direct comparisons of analogical reasoning ability across species. We show that human participants spontaneously make analogical discriminations with min-imal verbal instructions, and that the ability to reason analogically is affected by analogical complexity. Furthermore, performance on our task correlated with participants' fluid intelligence scores. These results show the nuance of analogical reasoning abilities by humans, and provide a means of robustly comparing this capacity across species.
Keywords
BABOONS PAPIO-PAPIO, CHIMPANZEES PAN-TROGLODYTES, SAME-DIFFERENT, WORKING-MEMORY, HUMANS, CONCEPTUALIZATION, INTELLIGENCE, BRAIN

Downloads

  • 1-s2.0-S2589004223004698-main.pdf
    • full text (Published version)
    • |
    • open access
    • |
    • PDF
    • |
    • 3.32 MB

Citation

Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:

MLA
Leonard, Kevin Michael, et al. “Relational Complexity Influences Analogical Reasoning Ability.” ISCIENCE, vol. 26, no. 4, 2023, doi:10.1016/j.isci.2023.106392.
APA
Leonard, K. M., Sepehri, P., Cheri, B., & Kelly, D. M. (2023). Relational complexity influences analogical reasoning ability. ISCIENCE, 26(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.106392
Chicago author-date
Leonard, Kevin Michael, Parisa Sepehri, Breanna Cheri, and Debbie M. Kelly. 2023. “Relational Complexity Influences Analogical Reasoning Ability.” ISCIENCE 26 (4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.106392.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Leonard, Kevin Michael, Parisa Sepehri, Breanna Cheri, and Debbie M. Kelly. 2023. “Relational Complexity Influences Analogical Reasoning Ability.” ISCIENCE 26 (4). doi:10.1016/j.isci.2023.106392.
Vancouver
1.
Leonard KM, Sepehri P, Cheri B, Kelly DM. Relational complexity influences analogical reasoning ability. ISCIENCE. 2023;26(4).
IEEE
[1]
K. M. Leonard, P. Sepehri, B. Cheri, and D. M. Kelly, “Relational complexity influences analogical reasoning ability,” ISCIENCE, vol. 26, no. 4, 2023.
@article{01H9JKSPZE2FW6GF8SKKNNG6SC,
  abstract     = {{Human language without analogy is like a zebra without stripes. The ability to un-derstand analogies, or to engage in relational reasoning, has been argued to be an important distinction between the cognitive abilities of human and non-human animals. Current studies have failed to robustly show that animals can perform more complex, relational discriminations, in part because such tests rely on lin-guistic or symbolic experiences, and therefore are not suitable for evaluating analogical reasoning in animals. We report on a methodological approach allow-ing for direct comparisons of analogical reasoning ability across species. We show that human participants spontaneously make analogical discriminations with min-imal verbal instructions, and that the ability to reason analogically is affected by analogical complexity. Furthermore, performance on our task correlated with participants' fluid intelligence scores. These results show the nuance of analogical reasoning abilities by humans, and provide a means of robustly comparing this capacity across species.}},
  articleno    = {{106392}},
  author       = {{Leonard, Kevin Michael and Sepehri, Parisa and Cheri, Breanna and Kelly, Debbie M.}},
  issn         = {{2589-0042}},
  journal      = {{ISCIENCE}},
  keywords     = {{BABOONS PAPIO-PAPIO,CHIMPANZEES PAN-TROGLODYTES,SAME-DIFFERENT,WORKING-MEMORY,HUMANS,CONCEPTUALIZATION,INTELLIGENCE,BRAIN}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{18}},
  title        = {{Relational complexity influences analogical reasoning ability}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.106392}},
  volume       = {{26}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}

Altmetric
View in Altmetric
Web of Science
Times cited: