NEUROR: Exploring the Neural Basis of Reasoning

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Decades of research have long established that people's reasoning can be biased by their intuitions and deviate from logical norms. Popular dual process models that characterize thinking as an interaction between intuitive and deliberate thought processes have presented an appealing explanation for this observation. Within this account logical reasoning is traditionally considered as a prototypical example of a task that requires effortful deliberate thinking. In recent years, however, a number of findings obtained with new behavioral paradigms have questioned the traditional dual process characterization. A key observation is that people can process logical principles in classic reasoning tasks intuitively without deliberation. The fast or intuitive logic findings have far stretching theoretical implications for dual process theories and our view of human rationality. However, the nature of this newly discovered fast logical reasoning is not clear. One limitation is that its neural basis has not been explored. The primary goal of this project is to address this shortcoming in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study. In the study adult participants will solve classic reasoning problems (i.e., variants of the bat-and-ball problem) in the scanner. Half of the trials will be traditional Slow trials in which participants get ample time to deliberate (i.e., 20 s). The other half of the trials will be Fast trials in which people do not get sufficient time to deliberate (i.e., 4 s deadline) and need to rely on intuitive processing. All participants in the fMRI study will be healthy adults aged between 18-45. In addition to contrasting correct responders' brain activation during fast and slow trials, we will also contrast the fast and slow activations for correct and incorrect responses. This will allows us to identify brain regions associated with both correct and incorrect fast and slow logical responses and reach our study objective.

Official Title
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Exploring the Neural Basis of Reasoning

Conditions
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Healthy

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Presentation of fast and slow trials


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: right-handed signed informed consent form medical, neurological, neuroradiological healthy social security number use of contraception for female subjects Exclusion Criteria: standard contra-indication for MRI examination (pacemaker, metallic implants/dental braces, claustrophobia, pregnancy) chronic drug or alcohol user cognitive disorders linked to cardiovascular accidents chronic neurological or psychiatric disorder history of major illness (diabetes, metabolic, cancer, immunological) use of medicines that can potentially interfere with cerebral imaging (psychotropic drugs, hypnotics, anxiolytics, neuroleptics, anti-parkinson drugs, benzodiazepines, steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antiepileptics, anti-histamines, central analgesics and muscle relaxants) dyschromatopsia pregnant female non-MRI compatible tattoo

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 45 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Intervention/Treatment |
| --- |
|Other: Presentation of fast and slow trials|In each task trial participants will solve a reasoning problem. Half of the trials will be traditional Slow trials in which participants get ample time to deliberate (i.e., 20 s). The other half of the trials will be Fast trials in which people do not get sufficient time to deliberate (i.e., 4 s deadline) and need to rely on intuitive processing|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| fMRI results | Contrast of brain activations during correct and incorrect intuitive and deliberate reasoning | 2 years | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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fMRI, Reasoning, Dual process theory, decision making