The natural history of hypotheses about the selection task

Wason’s selection task is as interesting for what the history of its study tells us about psychological experimenters, as for what it tells us about subjects’ reasoning. In both cases the task is a rich source of insights. This chapter reprises some of what has been revealed under both headings in the 35 years since Wason invented the task. The purpose of studying history is, of course, to avoid reliving those parts of it we would sooner have avoided the first time around.