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Intuition: a social cognitive neuroscience approach
1Department of Psychology, Harvard University, USA. matthew_lieberman@post.harvard.edu
Psychological Bulletin
|February 11, 2000
Summary
Social intuition relies on implicit learning, particularly nonverbal communication. Neuropsychological and neuroimaging data suggest the basal ganglia play a key role in both implicit learning and social intuition.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Social Psychology
- Neurobiology
Background:
- Social intuition, crucial for interaction, is poorly understood.
- Implicit learning, the unconscious acquisition of knowledge, is a well-studied cognitive process.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose implicit learning as the cognitive basis for social intuition.
- To review evidence linking implicit learning and social intuition across multiple levels of analysis.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of implicit learning and social intuition.
- Review of neuropsychological, neuroimaging, neurophysiological, and neuroanatomical studies.
- Examination of data from Huntington's and Parkinson's disease.
Main Results:
- Strong conceptual and empirical links exist between implicit learning and social intuition.
- The basal ganglia, specifically the caudate and putamen, are identified as key neural substrates for both.
- Distinct parallel processes for judgment and action are observed at social, cognitive, and neural levels.
Conclusions:
- Implicit learning processes provide the cognitive foundation for social intuition.
- The basal ganglia are central to intuitive social processing.
- Explicit learning can hinder implicit social learning, highlighting distinct cognitive pathways.