Psychology of Reasoning. Structure and Content.

WASON, Peter Cathcart, & Philip Nicholas Johnson-Laird.

Published by Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1972

First edition, first printing, presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "Ryan, author's compliments, Peter Wason, May 1982", and with the ownership signature of Professor Ryan Tweney on the front pastedown. This copy, which contains numerous pen and pencil annotations, is accompanied by a laid-in letter from Wason to Tweney expressing thanks for the latter's "generous" review of the book. Tweney (1943-2020) was a professor of psychology at the University of Chicago. Primarily a scholar of the history of psychology and cognitive science, he elaborated on the theories of reasoning here expounded by Wason (1924-2003) and Johnson-Laird (b. 1936). Wason was the foremost figure in the development of the field because of his formulation of three logic puzzles: the four card problem, the 2-4-6 problem, and the THOG problem. Tweney lauded Wason's influence in a later essay on the subject: "Wason stands, like Kuhn, Piaget, and Simon, at the head of an important tradition of work in the psychology of science" (p. 250). The laid-in letter from Wason to Tweney, dated 13 February 1974, discusses Wason's plans for future books ("the book ends where another one could start!") and his experiences writing the present one: "It was, in fact, extremely difficult to write because Johnson-Laird and I have both different styles and slightly different biases." Johnson-Laird, Wason's former doctoral student, later developed the mental model theory of reasoning. Ryan D. Tweney & Susan T. Chitwood, "Scientific Reasoning", in Perspectives on Thinking and Reasoning: Essays in Honour of Peter Wason, Stephen E. Newstead & Jonathan St. B. T. Evans, eds, 1995. Octavo. Numerous charts, diagrams, and tables within text. Original dark blue cloth, spine lettered in gilt, top edge blue. With dust jacket. Extremities rubbed, spine ends bruised, corners a little worn, faint marks and toning to cloth; soiling to jacket, spine faded, extremities rubbed and creased, nicks and chips to same, particularly at folds and spine ends, unclipped: a very good copy in very good jacket. Seller Inventory # 168553

Bibliographic Details

Title: Psychology of Reasoning. Structure and ...
Publisher: Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1972
Signed: Signed by Author(s)
Edition: 1st Edition