Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to give an introduction to a general theory of graphical communication, and to illustrate its approach through an example of a system of elementary logic diagrams developed from Euler’s Circles. By a theory of graphical communication I mean a theory which can predict and explain the cognitive consequences of formulating a message in graphical media as opposed to expressing the same information in language. In fact, most graphical communication includes the use of language, and so the theory will have to deal with combinations of language and graphics. Such a theory is intended to form the basis of practices of design of optimal messages and therefore has substantial practical importance in, for example, the design of publications, teaching materials and computer interfaces.
This work was partially supported by grant #9018050 from the joint Councils Inititative in Cognitive Science an HCL the partial support of the Economic Research Council UK (ESRC) is also gratefully acknowledged, the work was part of the research program of the ESRC funded Human Communication Research Centre (HCRC).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Erickson, J. R.: 1974, A set analysis theory of behaviour in formal syllotistic reasoning tasks in Solso, R. (ed.) Loyola Symposium on Cognition, Volume 2. Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Gentner, D. and Stevens, A. L. (eds.): 1981, Mental Models; Hillsdale, NJ.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Guyote, M. J. and Sternberg, R. J.: 1981, A transitive-chain theory of syllogistic reasoning, Cognitive Psychology, 13, 461–525.
Johnson-Laird, P. N. and Steedman, M. J.: 1978, The psychology of syllogisms, Cognitive Psychology, 10, 64–99.
Johnson-Laird, P. N.: 1983, Mental Models, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Johnson-Laird, P. J., Byrne, R. M. J. & Tabossi, P.: 1989, Reasoning by model: the case of multiple quantification, Psych Rev, 96(4), 658–673.
Newell, A.: 1981, Reasoning, Problem Solving and Decision Processes: The Problem Space as a Fundamental Category, in Nickerson, R. (ed.) Attention and Performance , Volume 8. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Erlbaum.
Pylyshyn, Z. W.: 1973, What the Mind’s Eye Tells the Mind’s Brain: A Critique of Mental Imagery, Psychological Bulletin, 80, 1–24.
Shin, S.: 1991, A Situation-Theoretic Account of Valid Reasoning with Venn Diagrams, in Barwise, J., Gawron, J. M., Plotkin, G. and Tutiya, S. (eds.) Situation Theory and Its Applications, Volume 2. Chicago: Chicago University Press.
Stenning, K. and Oberlander, J.: in submission, A cognitive theory of graphical and linguistic reasoning: logic and implementation, Research Paper No. 20, Human Communication Research Centre, Edinburgh University, Edinburgh, 1991.
Stenning, K. and Oberlander, J.: (In Press), Spatial containment and set membership: a case study of analogy at work, in Analogical Connections., LEA. edited by Barnden, J. and Holyoak, K.
Yule, P. & Stenning, K.: 1992, The figural effect and a graphical algorithm for syllogistic reasoning, Proceedings of Fourteenth Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society, Bloomington, Indiana.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1996 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Stenning, K. (1996). The Cognitive Impact of Diagrams. In: Clark, A., Ezquerro, J., Larrazabal, J.M. (eds) Philosophy and Cognitive Science: Categories, Consciousness, and Reasoning. Philosophical Studies Series, vol 69. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-8731-0_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-8731-0_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-4710-6
Online ISBN: 978-94-015-8731-0
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive