1. Scientific/Mathematical Thinking and Human Nature Uri Leron Technion – Israel Institute of Technology Submitted to The Journal of Half-Baked Ideas

2. Logic of Social Exchange vs. Mathematical Logic (+ Popperian thinking) The research by Cosmides & Tooby (1992, 1997) on the Wason Card Selection Task First, a puzzle.

3. What cards must you turn over, in order to ascertain whether the rule is correct? The four cards below each have a letter on one side and a number on the other. 7B4 E You are told that the cards obey the following rule: If a card has a vowel on one side, then it has an even number on the other side. חידה

4. What cards must you turn over, in order to ascertain whether the rule is correct? The four cards below each have a letter on one side and a number on the other. 7 not-Q B not-P 4Q4Q EPEP You are told that the cards obey the following rule: If a card has a vowel on one side (P), then it has an even number on the other side (Q) חידה

5. The proposition “if P (vowel) then Q (even) ” is violated if and only if P and not-Q are true. 1. E (P): to see if it has odd-num ( not-Q ) on the other side 2. 7 ( not-Q ): to see if has vowel (P) on the other side Thus, the cards one must turn over are: ואסון תשובה נכונה 7 not-Q B not-P 4Q4Q EPEP

6. Four cards describe four people drinking in a pub. On one side there is a drink (beer or coke) and on the other, the drinker’s age (17 or 23). You are told that the four cards obey the following rule: What cards must you turn, in order to ascertain whether the four people actually obey the rule? “If (P) you are drinking beer, then (Q) you are over 20.” but you have your doubts about it. ואסון גרסת הפאבּ 17 not-Q Coke not-P 23 Q Beer P

7. Wason task: Content effects Keep the same structure, but change the contents of P,Q: “If you drink beer, then you are over 20” In familiar contexts, with reasonable causal relationship between P and Q, the failure rate went down to app. 50%. The ‘classical’ explanation: People’s performance improves in familiar context. True, but explains content effects only partially. ואסון שינוי תוכן

8. the thug promised: “if you don’t give the money (P), then I’ll beat you (Q)” I gave the money (not-P) and he beat me (Q), which by math’l logic, doesn’t break his promise! “if you don’t give the money, then I’ll beat you up” Evolutionary advantages of LSE הבריון New explanations for results in AMT research The Logic of Social Exchange The thug story

9. Social Contract (SC): if you give me your watch, then I give you $50 Cheater: receives the benefit (P), but do not pay the price (not-Q) Switched Social Contract (SSC) if I give you $50, then you give me your watch if I pay a price (Q), then I receive a benefit (P) if I receive a benefit (P), then I pay a price (Q) SC: cheater detection (evolution) = rule violation (logic) = P&not-Q SSC: cheater detection (P&not-Q) vs. switched-rule violation (Q&not-P) SC & SSC