Accounting for belief bias in a mental models framework: Comment on Klauer, Musch, and Naumer (2000).

Klauer, Musch, and Naumer (2000) present a general multinomial model of belief bias effects in syllogistic reasoning. They claim to map a particular mental model account of belief bias (Oakhill, Johnson-Laird, & Garnham, Cognition, 31, 117-149) onto this model, and to show empirically that it is incorrect. We argue that this mental model account does not map onto the multinomial model, and that it can account for the data presented by Klauer et al. (Experiments 1-4). We further argue that additional data they present in support of a new model of their own (Experiments 5-8) is explained by this mental model account. The mental model account is, therefore, refuted neither by Klauer et al.s theoretical analysis, nor by any of the results they present. Furthermore, the account can accommodate more recent findings on belief bias in a way that is more satisfactory than alternative models that have been proposed.