b. 1944
Dedre Gentner is a cognitive scientist and professor at Northwestern University best known for developing Structure-Mapping Theory (SMT), a computational account of how analogical reasoning works by aligning relational structures rather than surface features. Her work bridges cognitive psychology, linguistics, and philosophy of mind, with particular focus on how analogy and metaphor drive learning, scientific discovery, and conceptual change.
Developed Structure-Mapping Theory (SMT), the dominant computational framework for analogical reasoning
Demonstrated that structural alignment, not surface similarity, governs productive analogy
Extended analogical reasoning research to language acquisition and conceptual development in children
Contributed to the history of analogical thought, tracing formal accounts from Aristotle through modern cognitive science
Co-edited foundational volumes on analogy in cognition, including 'The Analogical Mind' (2001)