Common sense suggests that we know our own thoughts directly, but that we infer the thoughts of other people. βββ ββββββ βββββββ ββ ββββββββββββββ βββ βββββββββββ βββββ βββ ββββββ ββ βββββ ββ βββββββ ββββββββ βββ βββ ββββββ ββ ββββββ βββ
Standard assumption Β·We know our own thoughts directly
Elaborate on analogy Β·Expertise makes us think we see relationships directly, when we're really just making very quick inferences
Example: chess experts' ability to "see" whether a position is weak or strong. Experts make inferences so fast they don't notice they're making them. And we are experts in our own thinking, so we don't notice our own inferences.
Mistaken implication of psychologists' perspective Β·Might seem that psychologists are saying we infer our own thoughts based on observations of our own behavior
The phrase "perilously close" indicates the author thinks that it would be dangerous for someone to think we infer thoughts based on our own behavior.
Clarification Β·Psychologists say we infer thoughts based on internal feelings and emotions
So, we're not making inferences based on seeing our own external behavior.
Passage Style
Phenomenon-hypothesis
Single position
13.
According to the psychologists cited ββ βββ ββββββββ βββ ββββββββ ββ ββββββ βββββββββ ββ βββ βββ ββββββββ ββββββ ββββ βββ ββββ ββββ
Question Type
Stated
The author tells us the psychologistsβ explanation for why we think we have direct knowledge in P2: βFrom a psychological perspective, we become so expert in making incredibly fast introspective inferences about our thinking that we fail to notice that we are making them.β
a
we ignore the ββββββββ ββββ ββ βββββββ βββββββββ βββ ββββββββββ ββ βββ ββββββββββ ββ ββββ βββββ βββ βββββββ βββββββββ
Ignoring feedback isnβt mentioned as the reason psychologists claim we believe we know our own thoughts directly.
The psychologists say that our own thoughts are always inferred through our expert inference-making. So itβs not correct to say that they believe knowledge of our own thoughts is βusually unmediated due to our expertise.β (βUnmediatedβ means direct.)
c
we are unaware ββ βββ βββββββββββ βββββββββ ββββ βββββ ββ ββ ββββββ βββββ ββ βββ ββββββββ
Suppoted. This is the closest answer to the idea that weβre so expert at inference-making that we donβt notice weβre making inferences.
Uncertainty regarding our inferences isnβt mentioned as the reason psychologists claim we believe we know our own thoughts directly.
Difficulty
70% of people who answer get this correct
This is a moderately difficult question.
It is somewhat easier than other questions in this passage.
CURVE
Score of students with a 50% chance of getting this right
25%132
149
75%165
Analysis
Stated
Phenomenon-hypothesis
Science
Single position
Answer Popularity
PopularityAvg. score
a
4%
157
b
22%
160
c
70%
163
d
2%
159
e
2%
152
Question history
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