Examining the interactions of relational reasoning and decision making in interdisciplinary scientific teams

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the role of relational reasoning during problem solving within an interdisciplinary team of scientists working on the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission. Findings revealed that multiple forms of relational reasoning, including analogies, anomalies, antinomies, and antitheses, were evident in team interactions but occurred irregularly in real time. Analogical reasoning was most frequent and more likely than other forms to transition into decision-making processes. In contrast, decision making appeared in temporally clustered sequences that were largely distinct from moments of relational reasoning. These findings challenge assumptions that relational reasoning and decision making are tightly integrated during problem solving, instead suggesting a phase-based organisation in which relational reasoning supports sensemaking and decision making supports action selection. To our knowledge, this is the first empirical study to document the coordinated emergence of multiple forms of relational reasoning within interdisciplinary teams engaged in complex scientific work.