Abstract
Coherence plays an important role in psychology. In this article, I suggest that coherence takes two main forms in humans’
cognitive system. The first belong to ‘system 1’. It relies on the degree of coherence between different representations to
regulate them, without coherence being represented. By contrast other mechanisms, belonging to system 2, allow humans to represent
the degree of coherence between different representations and to draw inferences from it. It is suggested that the mechanisms
of explicit coherence evaluation have social functions. They are used as means of epistemic vigilance—to evaluate what other
people tell us. They can also be turned inwards to examine the coherence of our own beliefs. Their function is then to minimize
the chances that we are perceived as being incoherent. Evidence from different domains of psychology is briefly reviewed in
support of these hypotheses.
cognitive system. The first belong to ‘system 1’. It relies on the degree of coherence between different representations to
regulate them, without coherence being represented. By contrast other mechanisms, belonging to system 2, allow humans to represent
the degree of coherence between different representations and to draw inferences from it. It is suggested that the mechanisms
of explicit coherence evaluation have social functions. They are used as means of epistemic vigilance—to evaluate what other
people tell us. They can also be turned inwards to examine the coherence of our own beliefs. Their function is then to minimize
the chances that we are perceived as being incoherent. Evidence from different domains of psychology is briefly reviewed in
support of these hypotheses.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-12
- DOI 10.1007/s11299-011-0095-4
- Authors
- Hugo Mercier, Philosophy, Politics and Economics Program, University of Pennsylvania, 313 Cohen Hall, 249 South 36th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Journal Mind & Society
- Online ISSN 1860-1839
- Print ISSN 1593-7879