Comparing competing views of analogy making using eye-tracking technology

International audienceWe used eye-tracking to study the time course of analogical reasoning in adults. We considered proportions of looking times and saccades. The main question was whether or not adults would follow the same search strategies for different types of analogical problems (Scene Analogies vs. Classical A:B:C:D vs a Scene version of A:B::C:D). We then compared these results to the predictions of various models of analogical reasoning. Results revealed a picture of common search patterns with local adaptations to the specifics of each paradigm in both looking-time duration and the number and types of saccades. These results are discussed in terms of conceptions of analogical reasoning