Mental Models Philip N. Johnson-Laird. Cognitive Science Series. Harvard Press.

Description: Mental Models offers nothing less than a unified theory of the major properties of mind: comprehension, inference, and consciousness. In spirited and graceful prose, Johnson-Laird argues that we apprehend the world by building inner mental replicas of the relations among objects and events that concern us. The mind is essentially a model-building device that can itself be modeled on a digital computer. This book provides both a blueprint for building such a model and numerous important illustrations of how to do it.In several key areas of cognition, Johnson-Laird shows how an explanation based on mental modeling is clearly superior to previous theory. For example, he argues compellingly that deductive reasoning does not take place by tacitly applying the rules of logic, but by mentally manipulating models of the states of affairs from which inferences are drawn. Similarly, linguistic comprehension is best understood not as a matter of applying inference rules to propositions derived from sentences, but rather as the mind's effort to construct and update a model of the situation described by a text or a discourse. Most provocative, perhaps, is Johnson-Laird's theory of consciousness: the mind's necessarily incomplete model of itself allows only a partial control over the many unconscious and parallel processes of cognition.This an extraordinarily rich book, providing a coherent account of much recent experimental work in cognitive psychology, along with lucid explanations of relevant theory in linguistics, computer science, and philosophy Not since Miller, Galanter, and Pribram's classic Plans and the Structure of Behavior has a book in cognitive science combined such sweep, style, and good sense. Like its distinguished predecessor, Mental Models may well serve to fix a point of view for a generation. We will ALWAYS COMBINE SHIPPING on items that do not ship for free. We will issue a refund for any excess shipping charges AUTOMATICALLY AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER the actual shipping cost is determined and the label is printed. Please purchase multiple items as close to the same time as possible; we ship packages six days a week and always on the same day as the purchase whenever possible. Books will be packaged with great care and ship via USPS Media Mail. If you are ordering from Alaska, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico a $30.00 surcharge MAY or MAY NOT apply. If the surcharge is not added to the price we are charged for shipping, the $30.00, or any portion of the $30.00 not charged to us will be refunded. Thank you. Please take a look at the many other comics we have listed, there's always a great variety, and we often have related issues, and a good number of complete collections, as well as many Golden, Silver, Bronze, and Modern Age comics. We also have thousands of magazines, zines, pulps, and science fiction & fantasy paperbacks that we don't have listed yet, so if you are seeking something in particular, contact us, as there is a decent chance we'll have it. We ship internationally through ebay's Global Shipping Program. Return policyWe take great care in giving accurate and detailed descriptions of our books and comics, and always package them safely and securely. Please take a good look at the photos and contact us if you have any questions before purchasing or bidding. We hope you have no cause to return an item, but if you do we offer 30 day returns. Standard ebay return policies are followed. FeedbackIf you are happy with your purchase and the service, please leave positive feedback, and we will reciprocate right away.If you are not happy for any reason, please contact us at your earliest convenience. Thank you!

Price: 14 USD

Location: West Hartford, Connecticut

End Time: 2024-12-17T03:52:55.000Z

Shipping Cost: 6.13 USD