Reasoning by Assumption: Formalisation and Analysis of Human Reasoning Traces

Abstract

This paper shows how empirical human reasoning traces can be formalised and automatically analysed against dynamic properties they fulfil. To this end, for the reasoning pattern called 'reasoning by assumption' a variety of dynamic properties have been specified, some of which are considered characteristic for the reasoning pattern, whereas some other properties can be used to discriminate between different approaches to the reasoning. These properties have been automatically checked for the traces acquired in experiments undertaken.

Formal analysis of design process dynamics

“…Furthermore, the presented approach is generic in the sense that the presented properties of design processes as well as the analysis techniques are independent of any specific design problem. The analysis approach that is for the first time applied to design processes here, has (at least in part) previously been applied to complex and dynamic reasoning processes other than design, such as reasoning by dynamically adding and evaluating assumptions (Jonker & Treur, 2003; Bosse et al, 2006 b ), and reasoning based on multiple representations (Bosse et al, 2003). In these cases in addition to simulated traces, empirical (human) reasoning traces have also been formally analyzed.…”

“…To this end the Temporal Trace Language (TTL) is used as a tool (cf. Jonker & Treur, 2002; Bosse et al, 2006 a ). This language can be classified as a predicate logic-based reified temporal language; see Galton (2003, 2006).…”

“…For the complete syntax and semantics of LEADSTO, see Bosse et al (2007). For a formal definition of the LEADSTO language in terms (as a sublanguage) of the language TTL, see Jonker et al (2003) and Bosse et al (2006 a ).…”