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Spontaneous inferences provide intuitive beliefs on which reasoning proper depends

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 March 2011

James S. Uleman
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003. jim.uleman@nyu.eduhttp://www.psych.nyu.edu/ulemanlmk323@nyu.eduhttps://files.nyu.edu/lmk323/public/soyon.rim@nyu.edu
Laura M. Kressel
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003. jim.uleman@nyu.eduhttp://www.psych.nyu.edu/ulemanlmk323@nyu.eduhttps://files.nyu.edu/lmk323/public/soyon.rim@nyu.edu
SoYon Rim
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003. jim.uleman@nyu.eduhttp://www.psych.nyu.edu/ulemanlmk323@nyu.eduhttps://files.nyu.edu/lmk323/public/soyon.rim@nyu.edu

Abstract

Spontaneous inferences are unconscious, automatic, and apparently ubiquitous. Research has documented their variety (particularly in the social domain) and impact on memory and judgment. They are good candidates for Mercier and Sperber's (M&S's) “intuitive beliefs.” Forming spontaneous inferences is highly context sensitive, varying with the perceiver's conscious and unconscious goals, and implicit and explicit theories about the domain in question.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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