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SUMMARY:Towards a Cognitive Neuroscience of Rational Thought - Professor V
 inod Goel\, Department of Psychology\, University of Hull
DTSTART:20081121T163000Z
DTEND:20081121T180000Z
UID:TALK13212@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Marie Dixon
DESCRIPTION:Considerable progress has been made over the past decade in ou
 r understanding of the neural basis of logical reasoning. Unsurprisingly t
 hese data are telling us that the brain is organized in ways not anticipat
 ed by cognitive theory. In particular\, they're forcing us to confront the
  possibility that there may be no unitary reasoning system in the brain (b
 e it mental models or mental logic).  Rather\, the evidence points to a fr
 actionated system that is dynamically configured in response to certain ta
 sk and environmental cues.  I will review three lines of demarcation inclu
 ding (a) systems for heuristic and formal processes (with evidence for som
 e degree of content specificity in the heuristic system)\, (b) conflict de
 tection/resolution systems\, and (c) systems for dealing with certain and 
 uncertain inferences\; and then offer a tentative account of how the syste
 ms might interact to facilitate logical reasoning. Sensitivity to data gen
 erated by neuroimaging and patient methodologies will move us beyond the s
 terility of mental models vs. mental logic debate and further the developm
 ent of cognitive theories of reasoning.
LOCATION:Ground Floor Lecture Theatre\, Department of Experimental Psychol
 ogy
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