Abstract
When formulating explanations for the events we witness in the world, temporal dynamics govern the hypotheses we generate. In our view, temporal dynamics influence beliefs over three stages: data acquisition, hypothesis generation, and hypothesis maintenance and updating. This paper presents experimental and computational evidence for the influence of temporal dynamics on hypothesis generation through dynamic working memory processes during data acquisition in a medical diagnosis task. We show that increasing the presentation rate of a sequence of symptoms leads to a primacy effect, which is predicted by the dynamic competition in working memory that dictates the weights allocated to individual data in the generation process. Individual differences observed in hypothesis generation are explained by differences in working memory capacity. Finally, in a simulation experiment we show that activation dynamics at data acquisition also accounts for results from a related task previously held to support capacity-unlimited diagnostic reasoning.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
