A perceptual account of symbolic reasoning

Landy, David H.; Allen, Colin; Zednik, Carlos

2014

Abstract

People can be taught to manipulate symbols according to formal mathematical and logical rules. Cognitive scientists have traditionally viewed this capacity-the capacity for symbolic reasoning-as grounded in the ability to internally represent numbers, logical relationships, and mathematical rules in an abstract, amodal fashion. We present an alternative view, portraying symbolic reasoning as a special kind of embodied reasoning in which arithmetic and logical formulae, externally represented as notations, serve as targets for powerful perceptual and sensorimotor systems. Although symbolic reasoning often conforms to abstract mathematical principles, it is typically implemented by perceptual and sensorimotor engagement with concrete environmental structures.

Keywords

symbolic reasoningembodied cognitionperceptionsensorimotor systemarithmeticlogical reasoningmathematical notationabstract representationperceptual grounding

Concepts

Amodal perceptionEmbodied cognitionPerceptionCognitive scienceNotationLogical reasoningCognitionPsychologyVerbal reasoningDeductive reasoningComputer scienceMathematical logicCognitive psychologyArtificial intelligenceProgramming languageArithmeticMathematicsNeuroscience

Citation

Landy, D, Allen, C, Zednik, C (2014). A perceptual account of symbolic reasoning. Frontiers in psychology https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00275

Metadata

Source: Frontiers in Psychology
Domain: Life Sciences
Field: Neuroscience
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Topic: Embodied and Extended Cognition
Open access: Open Access
Citation count: 91
Work ID: W2065588383