Eric wrote (in part):
But from reading the Kpelle study, the Vai study and Scribner
article "Modes of thinking and ways of speaking culture and logic
reconsidered" it appears that many people solve logical questions based on
their everyday experiences (Vygotsky's spontaneous thought processes) and not
based on what they learned in a formal school setting (Vygotsky's scientific
thought processes).
Eric-- There is a massive literature showing that people reason on the
basis of their everyday experiences and that syllogistc reasoning in an
Aristotelian sense is a very specific phenomenon used in specific circumstances.
American college students often reason incorrectly about absractly presented
syllogisms while immediately solving versions to which they can ascribe human.
personal/sense.
There are various interpretations of these phenomena. You might find
interesting Peter Tulviste's work on the cultural-historical development of
verbal thinking.
mikec
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