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Ralf Decker

[Person] [Project]

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Ralf Decker, Diplom-Psychologe

Short Vita

1967:

Born in Fulda (Germany).

1988-1998:

Study of Philosophy and Psychology at the University of Marburg (Germany), Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo (Ontario, Canada) and University of Tübingen.

1998:

Graduation in Psychology at the University of Tübingen (Germany). Thesis: "Prozesse während der Produktion aufeinanderfolgender Silbenpaare: Eine Antwort auf Sevald & Dell" [Processes during the production of sequent syllable pairs: A reply to Sevald & Dell].

1998-1999:

Post graduate student at the Medizinisch-Psychosomatische Klinik Bad Bramstedt

1999-2002:

Ph.D. student of the VGK (with scholarship).

Contact

Phone: ++49 (0) 7071 / 979 305
FAX:    ++49 (0) 7071 / 979 100
email: Ralf.Decker@vgk.de
WWW: My homepage

Institut für Wissensmedien
Konrad-Adenauer-Str. 40
D-72072 Tübingen (Germany)

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Ph.D. Project

Topic: The role of media in causal cognition

Supervisors: Prof. Dr. F.W. Hesse, PD Dr. Rolf Ploetzner (Tübingen)

Start of the Ph.D. project: December 1999 - December 2002

Summary

Recently Cheng (1997) has presented a new model of causal induction. Compared to associative models of causal reasoning, i.e. the Rescorla-Wagner model, or contingency- based models like the Probabilistic Contrast model Cheng claims her theory, called the Power PC theory, to be conceptually superior and to have a greater empirical scope. However, in an empirical evaluation of the Power PC theory Lober & Shanks (in press) came to the conclusion that the predictions of the Rescorla Wagner model and the Probabilistic contrast model are more adequate to explain the data of their experiments.

Interestingly, the article of Lober & Shanks (in press) clearly shows that the form in which the material is presented can modify the way how causal information is processed and evaluated. Although there are some studies that compare the influence of different external representations of causal information, systematic investigations about the role of media especially in the domain of causal cognition are still missing. A first attempt to combine the fields of causal cognition and research on media and external representations has been undertaken by Oestermeier & Hesse (submitted). Asking themselves which forms of causal evidence exist they developed a taxonomy of 27 causal arguments. Going one step further they presented an argument-media- matrix where hypotheses are presented about the question which visual media transport or support which forms of causal arguments.

Whereas linguistic causal arguments are relatively good investigated, there is still a lack of research in the field of visual causal arguments. Visual causal arguments can be, for instance, presented by means of epidemiological maps, statistical graphs, float diagrams, animated maps or simulations. At the beginning of my Ph.D. project I will review current literature in the field of causal cognition to see if there are further hints for an interaction between form of presentation and the efficacy ratings of the subjects considering events as possible causes. Based on the taxonomy of causal arguments (Oestermeier & Hesse, submitted) I plan for the experimental phase to choose some specific forms of causal arguments in order to compare different forms of presentations with each other (i.e. animations, simulations). It will be tested which of the above mentioned model/s is/are appropiate to predict the efficacy ratings by the subjects.

References

Cheng, P. W. (1997). From covariation to causation: A causal power theory. Psychological Review, 104, 367-405.

Lober, K. & Shanks, D. R. (in press). Experimental Falsification of Cheng's (1997) Power PC Theory of Causation. Psychological Review.

Oestermeier, U. & Hesse, F.W. (submitted). Verbal and visual causal arguments.

Publications

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Last update: 5 Dec 2002, Erik Ründal
URL: www.vgk.de/projects/decker/index.html