The relationship between analogy and categorisation in cognition
This central topic of this thesis is the relationship between categorisation and analogy in cognition. Questions of what a straightforward representation of a concept or category is, and following from that how extra-categorical associations such as analogy and metaphor are possible are central to our understanding of human reasoning and comprehension. However, despite the intimate linkage between the two, the trend in cognitive science has been to treat analogy and categorisation as separable, distinctive phenomena that can be studied in isolation from one another. This strategy has proved remarkably effective when it comes to the cognitive modelling of extra-categorical associations. A number of compelling and detailed models of analogy process exist, and there is widespread agreement amongst researchers studying analogy as to what the key cognitive processes that determine analogies are. However, these models of analogy tend to assume some kind of fully specified category processing module which governs and determine ordinary, straightforward conceptual mappings. Indeed, this assumption is required in order to talk about analogy and metaphor in the first place: few theorists actually define analogy and
Ramscar, Michael
The relationship between analogy and categorisation in cognition. This central topic of this thesis is the relationship between categorisation and analogy in cognition. Questions of what a straightforward representation of a concept or category is, and following from that how extra-categorical associations such as analogy and metaphor are possible are central to our understanding of human reasoning and comprehension. However, despite the intimate linkage between the two, the trend in cognitive science has been to treat analogy and categorisation as separable, distinctive phenomena that can be studied in isolation from one another. This strategy has proved remarkably effective when it comes to the cognitive modelling of extra-categorical associations. A number of compelling and detailed models of analogy process exist, and there is widespread agreement amongst researchers studying analogy as to what the key cognitive processes that determine analogies are. However, these models of analogy tend to assume some kind of fully specified category processing module which governs and determine ordinary, straightforward conceptual mappings. Indeed, this assumption is required in order to talk about analogy and metaphor in the first place: few theorists actually define analogy and
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