A theory of analogical mapping between source and target analogs based upon Interacting structural, semantic, and pragmatic constraints is proposed here. The structural constraint of isomorphism encourages mappings that maximize the consistency of relational corresondences between the elements of the two analogs. The constraint of semantic similarity supports mapping hypotheses to the degree that mapped predicates have similar meanings. The constraint of prog-mafic central/! / favors mappings involving elements the analogist believes to be Important in order to achieve the purpose for which the analogy Is being used. The theory is implemented in a computer program called ACME (Analogical Constraint Mapping Engine), which represents constraints by means of a network of supporting and competing hypotheses regarding what elements to map. A coop-erative algorithm for parallel constraint satisfaction identifies mapping hypotheses that collectively represent the overall mapping that best fits the interacting constraints. ACME has been applied to a wide range of examples that include problem analogies, analogical arguments, explanatory analogies, story analogies, formal analogies, and metaphors. ACME is sensitive to semantic and pragmatic Information if it Is available,.and yet able to compute mappings between formally Isomorphic analogs without any similar or identical elements. The theory Is able to account for empirical findings regarding the impact of consistency and similarity on human processing of analogies.

Analogy and similarity are often assumed to be distinct psychological processes. In contrast to this position, the authors suggest that both similarity and analogy involve a process of structural alignment and mapping, that is, that similarity is like analogy. In this article, the authors first describe the structure-mapping process as it has been worked out for analogy. Then, this view is extended to similarity, where it is used to generate new predictions. Finally, the authors explore broader implications of structural alignment for psychological processing.

Analogy is often viewed as a partial similarity match between domains. But not all partial similarities qualify as analogy: There must be some selection of which commonalities count. Three experiments tested o particular selection constraint in anological mapping, namely, systemoticity. That is, we tested whether a given predicate is more likely to figure in the interpretation of and prediction from on analogy if the predicate participates in a common system of relations. In Experiment 1, subjects judged two matches to be included in on analogy: an isolated match, and a match embedded in. a larger matching system. Subjects preferred the embedded match. In Experiments 2 and 3, subjects mode analogical predictions about a target domain. Subjects predicted information that followed from a causal system that matched the base domain, rather than information that was equally plausible, but that created an isolated match with the base. Results support Gentner's (1983, 1989) structure. mopping theory in that anological mopping concerns systems and not individual predicates, and that attention to shored systematic structure constrains the selection of information to include in an analogy.

Cognitive skills acquisition is acquiring the ability to solve problems in intellectual tasks, where success is determined more by the subjects' knowledge than their physical prowess. This chapter reviews reseach conducted in the last ten years on cognitive skill acquisition. It covers the initial stages of acquiring a single principle or rule, the initial stages of acquiring a collection of interacting pieces of knowledge, and the final stages of acquiring a skill, wherein practice causes increases speed and accuracy.

One of the original motivations for qualitative physics research was the creation of a computational account of mental models. For instance, a key intuition often associated with mental models is that they are runnable, i.e., there is a sense of deriving answers via mental simulation rather than logical reasoning. This paper examines three explanations for runnability, and argues that none of them is sufficient. Instead, a hybrid model combining aspects of all three is proposed, focusing on the integration of ideas from qualitative physics with ideas from analogical processing. Some psychological implications of this hybrid model are discussed.

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The ways in which analogy was used in a nonexperimental environment—politics—was investigated. We used the framework developed in analogy research to analyze the selection of analogical sources in political discourse. We took all the analogies reported in newspapers during the final week of a referendum campaign in Canada and analyzed the features of the different analogies used. We identified 234 analogies and analyzed the range over which analogies were used, semantic categories of analogies, goals of the analogizer, and emotional connotation of the analogies. Our results reveal that analogy was frequently used, that over two-thirds of the analogical sources were nonpolitical, and that many of the sources had strong emotional connotations. Furthermore, the goal of the analogizer influenced the selection of sources. We conclude that characteristics of the audience and emotionality of the source analog are important features in the selection of source analogs.

The ready availability of online source-code examples has fundamentally changed programming practices. However, current search tools are not designed to assist with programming tasks and are wholly separate from editing tools. This paper proposes that embedding a task-specific search engine in the development environment can significantly reduce the cost of finding information and thus enable programmers to write better code more easily. This paper describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of Blueprint, a Web search interface integrated into the Adobe Flex Builder development environment that helps users locate example code. Blueprint automatically augments queries with code context, presents a code-centric view of search results, embeds the search experience into the editor, and retains a link between copied code and its source. A comparative laboratory study found that Blueprint enables participants to write significantly better code and find example code significantly faster than with a standard Web browser. Analysis of three months of usage logs with 2,024 users suggests that task-specific search interfaces can significantly change how and when people search the Web.

is difficult. In this article we develop a cognitive framework to characterize sense-making in the implementation process that is especially relevant for recent education policy initiatives, such as standards-based reforms that press for tremendous changes in classroom instruction. From a cognitive perspective, a key dimension of the implementation process is whether, and in what ways, implementing agents come to understand their practice, potentially changing their beliefs and attitudes in the process. We draw on theoretical and empirical literature to develop a cognitive perspective on implementation. We review the contribution of cognitive science frames to implementation research and identify areas where cognitive science can make additional contributions.