The Appeal to Expert Opinion: Quantitative Support for a Bayesian Network Approach

Cognitive Science
Adam J L HarrisAnne S Hsu

Abstract

The appeal to expert opinion is an argument form that uses the verdict of an expert to support a position or hypothesis. A previous scheme-based treatment of the argument form is formalized within a Bayesian network that is able to capture the critical aspects of the argument form, including the central considerations of the expert's expertise and trustworthiness. We propose this as an appropriate normative framework for the argument form, enabling the development and testing of quantitative predictions as to how people evaluate this argument, suggesting that such an approach might be beneficial to argumentation research generally. We subsequently present two experiments as an example of the potential for future research in this vein, demonstrating that participants' quantitative ratings of the convincingness of a proposition that has been supported with an appeal to expert opinion were broadly consistent with the predictions of the Bayesian model.

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Citations

Dec 27, 2015·Topics in Cognitive Science·Ulrike HahnAdam Corner
Jul 28, 2016·Trends in Cognitive Sciences·Hugo Mercier
Feb 15, 2018·Frontiers in Psychology·Peter J CollinsErik J Olsson
Jul 23, 2020·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Niccolò Pescetelli, Nick Yeung
Sep 18, 2020·Cognitive Science·Belinda XieBrett K Hayes
Sep 5, 2018·Frontiers in Psychology·Frieder M PaulusSören Krach
Sep 14, 2019·Annual Review of Psychology·Mike Oaksford, Nick Chater
Nov 5, 2020·Topics in Cognitive Science·Henry PrakkenAnne Ruth Mackor
Aug 18, 2020·Cognitive Psychology·Peter J CollinsUlrike Hahn
Sep 4, 2019·Trends in Cognitive Sciences·Nathaniel RabbSteven A Sloman
Jul 1, 2020·Cognition·Toby D PilditchDavid Lagnado
Apr 17, 2020·Trends in Cognitive Sciences·Ulrike Hahn

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