Frequentist Hypothesis
Human reasoning mechanisms designed for frequency information
The Frequentist Hypothesis proposes that some human reasoning mechanisms are designed to take as input frequency information and produce as output frequency information. This hypothesis argues that humans are well-suited for solving problems that involve frequency information, such as the locations of game animals or the distribution of edible plants.
- Human reasoning mechanisms are designed to take as input frequency information and produce as output frequency information.
- Humans are well-suited for solving problems that involve frequency information.
- Frequency representations can provide crucial input into problem-solving and decision-making mechanisms.
- Present information in a frequentist formatUse frequency information to present problems and make judgments, rather than relying on single-event probabilities.Pro tipPresent information in a format that maps closely onto the sorts of input that humans would have been likely to process in ancestral times.WarningBe aware of the potential for errors when using frequency representations in artificial or novel contexts.
- Use frequency representations to make judgmentsUse frequency information to make judgments and solve problems, rather than relying on single-event probabilities.Pro tipLook for patterns and relationships in the environment that may aid in solving the problem.WarningBe cautious of ignoring base-rate information or giving too much weight to individual information.
A test to detect a disease has a false positive rate of 5%. What is the chance that a person found to have a positive result actually has the disease?
The Frequentist Hypothesis was developed by Cosmides and Tooby (1996) as a response to the traditional view of human cognition as being riddled with biases and errors. They argued that an evolutionary perspective is necessary to understand human cognitive mechanisms and their ability to solve complex problems.