Logic Brightens My Day: Evidence for Implicit Sensitivity to Logical Validity.

Dries Trippas, Simon J Handley, Michael F Verde, Kinga Morsanyi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

45 Citations (Scopus)
527 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

A key assumption of dual process theory is that reasoning is an explicit, effortful, deliberative process. The present study offers evidence for an implicit, possibly intuitive component of reasoning. Participants were shown sentences embedded in logically valid or invalid arguments. Participants were not asked to reason but instead rated the sentences for liking (Experiment 1) and physical brightness (Experiments 2-3). Sentences that followed logically from preceding sentences were judged to be more likable and brighter. Two other factors thought to be linked to implicit processing-sentence believability and facial expression-had similar effects on liking and brightness ratings. The authors conclude that sensitivity to logical structure was implicit, occurring potentially automatically and outside of awareness. They discuss the results within a fluency misattribution framework and make reference to the literature on discourse comprehension. 

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1448
JournalJournal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition
Volume42
Issue number9
DOIs
Publication statusEarly online date - 18 Feb 2016

Bibliographical note

(c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Logic Brightens My Day: Evidence for Implicit Sensitivity to Logical Validity.'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this