Does Aristotelian logic describe human reasoning? Valid syllogisms and canonical models

Abstract

The mental models theory (e.g., Johnson-Laird, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2012; Khemlani, Orenes, & Johnson-Laird, 2012, 2014; Khemlani, Lotstein, Trafton, & Johnson- Laird, 2015; Oakhill &Garnham, 1996; Orenes& Johnson-Laird, 2012) is a current cognitive theory that proposes that human reasoning is not based on syntactic inferences from logical forms. According to it, people make iconic models or mental representations that are essentially semantic and refer to all of the possibilities that can be true given a proposition. In this way, the theory acknowledges that its fundamentals come from Peirce (1931-1958). However, an important point of the theory to this paper is that individuals do not always identify all of the models related to propositions. Some of the models are easy to be found and people usually note them quickly. Nevertheless, other models are harder to be identified without certain reflection or effort. This fact explains, for example, why individuals make certain mistakes and why certain inferences are more difficult than others.