Studies composed by
Peter Cathcart Wason
(England, 24.4.1924 - 17.4.2003)
Born April 22, 1924 Bath,
Institutions University of Aberdeen, University College, London
Known for Psychology of Reasoning
Influences Karl Popper, Jean Piaget
Died April 17, 2003, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
Books Psychology of Reasoning: Structure and Content, The Psychology of Chess
Alma mater Oxford, University College London
Similar People Philip Johnson‑Laird, William Hartston, Amos Tversky
Influenced by Karl Popper, Jean Piaget
Peter Cathcart Wason (22 April 1924 – 17 April 2003) was a cognitive psychologist at University College, London who pioneered the Psychology of Reasoning.
He progressed explanations as to why people make certain consistent mistakes in logical reasoning.
He designed problems and tests to demonstrate these processes, for example the Wason selection task, the THOG problem and the 2-4-6 problem.
He also coined the term "confirmation bias" to describe the tendency for people to immediately favor information
that validates their preconceptions, hypotheses and personal beliefs regardless of whether they are true or not.
He did write an interesting book with William Hartston (issued in 1984) about the psychology of chess.
Some about it to be read here.
There is a lot more about him to be found i.e. at Wikipedia.
(All his studies, more exact dates, possible corrections or cooks and exact details about sources can be found in the