Lara Webber | Southampton Solent University (original) (raw)

Papers by Lara Webber

We introduce a unified approach to account for the problems people have in spatial reasoning. Thi... more We introduce a unified approach to account for the problems people have in spatial reasoning. This approach combines two theories: the mental model theory which aims to explain the deduction process, and the relational complexity theory which explains the processing complexity of the spatial relations needed in order to conceptualize the reasoning problem. We propose that a combination of these two theories can account for some of various errors found in spatial reasoning. We present two experiments in which we demonstrate that participants use the principle of first free fit to construct preferred mental models. We then formally implement these findings in the Spatial Reasoning by Models computational framework.

Abstract. People sometimes appear to build analogical representations in order to reason about gr... more Abstract. People sometimes appear to build analogical representations in order to reason about graphical information. In this paper we consider the extent to which the tendency to represent information analogically calls on spatial resources. We also examine whether people who represent graphical information analogically also represent numerical information using a spatial number line. Forty-eight adult participants carried out a series of graphical reasoning, number judgement and spatial working memory tasks. Evidence was found to suggest that people were forming analogical representations in both the number judgement and graphical reasoning tasks. Performance on the spatial memory task was positively associated with a measure of the tendency to use analogical representations on graph task. In addition, measures of the use of analogical representations for the graph and number tasks were associated. We interpret our results as providing further evidence that people build analogical...

In this paper we examine how people represent graphical information. We present a constrained gra... more In this paper we examine how people represent graphical information. We present a constrained graphical reasoning task isomorphic in logical structure to a three-term series reasoning problem. Participants were shown pairs of simple line graphs (premise graphs) and were then required to verify a third line graph (conclusion graph). We found that participants reordered the premise graphs in order to construct integrated representations. The order of the terms in the premises (their figure) modulated the accuracy and speed with which participants subsequently verified conclusions against these representations. These findings suggest a role for analogical representation in graph comprehension and call into question the common assumption that graph comprehension processes may accurately be modelled using propositional representations only.

Abstract. In this paper we argue that people construct analogical representations of the informat... more Abstract. In this paper we argue that people construct analogical representations of the information that they extract from simple graphs and that these representations are subject to the same nomic constraints as the original graphical representations. We briefly review behavioural and neuropsychological findings across a range of tasks related to graph comprehension, which suggest that people spontaneously construct analogical representations with a spatial quality. We describe two experiments demonstrating that the representations constructed by people reasoning about graphs also possess this spatial quality. We contrast our results with the predictions of current models of graph comprehension and outline some further questions for research. 1.

We describe an experiment designed to investigate whether people represent information presented ... more We describe an experiment designed to investigate whether people represent information presented graphically by analogy to space. Participants were presented with pairs of line graphs and bar graphs that specified the relationships between pairs of terms (A, B; B, C). The order of these terms was manipulated so that the end terms were either separated by the repeated term (e.g. ABBC) or were adjacent (e.g. BACB). Participants were asked to reproduce one of the premise graphs or to draw a graph relating the A and C terms. The order of the terms in these conclusions suggests that participants reordered the terms in the premise graphs so as to produce an integrated linear model of the information in the graph. Spatial ability was found to be associated with the tendency to reorder. These results suggest that people create spatial mental models for graphical reasoning.

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2003

In this paper we argue that people sometimes construct analogical representations of the informat... more In this paper we argue that people sometimes construct analogical representations of the information that they extract from simple graphs and that these representations are subject to the same nomic constraints as the original graphical representations. We briefly review behavioural and neuropsychological findings across a range of tasks related to graph comprehension, which suggest that people spontaneously construct analogical representations with a spatial quality. We describe two experiments demonstrating that the representations constructed by people reasoning about graphs may also possess this spatial quality. We contrast our results with the predictions of current models of graph comprehension and outline some further questions for research.

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2007

According to the mental models theory, humans reason by constructing, inspecting, and validating ... more According to the mental models theory, humans reason by constructing, inspecting, and validating mental models of the state of affairs described in the premises. We present a formal framework describing all three phases and testing new predictions about the construction principle humans normally use and about the deduction process itself – the model variation phase. Finally, empirical findings in support

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2004

People sometimes appear to build analogical representations in order to reason about graphical in... more People sometimes appear to build analogical representations in order to reason about graphical information. In this paper we consider the extent to which the tendency to represent information analogically calls on spatial resources. We also examine whether people who represent graphical information analogically also represent numerical information using a spatial number line. Forty-eight adult participants carried out a series of graphical reasoning, number judgement and spatial working memory tasks. Evidence was found to suggest that people were forming analogical representations in both the number judgement and graphical reasoning tasks. Performance on the spatial memory task was positively associated with a measure of the tendency to use analogical representations on graph task. In addition, measures of the use of analogical representations for the graph and number tasks were associated. We interpret our results as providing further evidence that people build analogical representations of graphical information. We conclude with a discussion of whether the use of such analogical representations is confined to any one task or is instead a general representational strategy employed by people high in spatial ability.

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2003

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2007

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2004