Evidence for Dual Neural Pathways for Syllogistic Reasoning

We review data from three neuroimaging studies of syllogistic reasoning that point to dual neural pathways for human reasoning. A frontal-temporal system processes familiar, conceptually coherent material while a parietal system processes unfamiliar, nonconceptual or incoherent material. We suggest that this is consistent with a dual mechanism account of reasoning consisting of heuristic and universal or formal processes. The frontal-temporal pathway corresponds to the “heuristic” system while the parietal pathway corresponds to the “universal” system. Reasoning about familiar situations automatically utilizes situation-specific heuristics, which are based on background knowledge and experience. Where no such heuristics are available (as in reasoning about unfamiliar situations), universal/formal methods must be used to solve the problem. In the case of syllogistic reasoning this involves a visuo-spatial system.

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