Gist is the grist: Fuzzy-trace theory and the new intuitionism

Abstract

Fuzzy-trace theory is a gist-driven interpretation of cognitive development that has descended from, but is distinctly different than, the Piagetian and information-processing traditions. Intuition, rather than deductive logic or computing machinery, is taken as the operative metaphor for cognition, where intuition is defined as it is in the foundations of mathematics—namely, as a fuzzy concept in combination with a construction rule. The theory is orchestrated around seven basic principles: (a) gist extraction; (b) fuzzy-to-verbatim continua; (c) the fuzzy-processing preference (intuition); (d) reconstruction in short- and long-term memory; (e) output interference; (f) resource freedom; and (g) ontogenesis. These principles are illustrated with developmental findings from such familiar reasoning paradigms as class inclusion, framing, mental arithmetic, probability judgment, and transitive inference.