Asking the right questions about the psychology of human inquiry: Nine open challenges
Abstract
The ability to act on the world with the goal of gaining information is what makes humans such an adaptable and intelligent species. Perhaps the most successful and influential account of such abilities is the Optimal Experiment Design (OED) hypothesis, which argues that humans intuitively perform experiments on the world similar to the way an effective scientist plans an experiment. The widespread application of this theory within many areas of psychology calls for a critical evaluation of the theory's core claims. Despite many successes, we argue that the OED hypothesis remains lacking as a theory of human inquiry and that research in the area often fails to confront some of the most interesting and important questions. In this critical review, we raise and discuss nine open questions about the psychology of human inquiry.
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Bibtex entry:
@article{coenen2019asking,
abstract = {The ability to act on the world with the goal of gaining information is what makes humans such an adaptable and intelligent species. Perhaps the most successful and influential account of such abilities is the Optimal Experiment Design (OED) hypothesis, which argues that humans intuitively perform experiments on the world similar to the way an effective scientist plans an experiment. The widespread application of this theory within many areas of psychology calls for a critical evaluation of the theory's core claims. Despite many successes, we argue that the OED hypothesis remains lacking as a theory of human inquiry and that research in the area often fails to confront some of the most interesting and important questions. In this critical review, we raise and discuss nine open questions about the psychology of human inquiry.},
author = {Coenen, A. and Nelson, J.D. and Gureckis, T.M.},
awards = {2020 Best Article Award at Psychonomic Bulletin and Review from Psychonomic Society},
journal = {Psychonomic Bulletin and Review},
number = {5},
pages = {1548--1587},
publisher = {Springer US},
title = {Asking the right questions about the psychology of human inquiry: Nine open challenges},
volume = {26},
year = {2019}}QR Code:
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