Pragmatic factors in Conditional Reasoning with narrative texts

Abstract

In this article the role of pragmatic knowledge in conditional reasoning was investigated. We explored the importance of: a) probability of empirical ocurrence expressed in the conditional sentences (deterministic, probablisistic or without relation, b) availability of the scenarios of daily life (available vs. non available professions), c) congruence or non-congruence of the narrative texts and d) type of conditional rule (Modus Ponens, Modus tollens, Affirmation of the Consequent and Denial of the Antecedent). The results showed the importance of the relation between the antecedent and consequent and the congruence of the texts on the inferences. Theses results are consistent with our previous experimental results in the investigations about a) syllogistic reasoning with probabilistic quantifiers either a non-contextual mode or in the context of narrative texts (Valiña 1988; Valiña & De Vega, 1988), b)conditional reasoning task (formal vs. thematic content)(Seoane & Valiña, 1988; Valiña & cols. 1992 a, b) and reasoning with conditional sentences included in the narrative texts (Martín,Valiña, Seoane & Ferraces, 1997) and c) the Wason's selection task (Seoane, Valiña, Ferraces & Martín, 1997; Valiña, Seoane, Ferraces & Martín, 1995). The results are consistent with the notion of mental scenario in human reasoning. They do not support the theories based on formal rules or current competence models and are better explained by the Mental Models Theory .