Physical Intuition, Imagistic Simulation, and Implicit Knowledge

This chapter discusses evidence from think-aloud case studies that indicates that part of the knowledge used by expert problem solvers consists of concrete intuitions rather than abstract verbal principles or equations, and that these intuition schemas can be used to generate imagistic simulations. An intuition, as used here, does not refer to a mysterious reasoning process, but refers very specifically to a qualitative, concrete element of knowledge about the world that is self-evaluated and stands without the need for further explanation or justification.