Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Evidence that logical reasoning depends on conscious processing.

C Nathan DeWall1, Roy F Baumeister, E J Masicampo

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, 201 Kastle Hall, Lexington, KY 40506-0044, USA. nathan.dewall@uky.edu

Consciousness and Cognition
|January 30, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Expressions of appreciation facilitate love and cooperation.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2026
Same author

Do people really avoid effort? A cost - benefit perspective on the principle of least effort.

Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews·2026
Same author

Socializing While Alone: Loss of Impact and Engagement When Interacting Remotely via Technology.

Perspectives on psychological science : a journal of the Association for Psychological Science·2026
Same author

Forward-looking questions regarding ego depletion and mental fatigue in sport psychology: Comment on Englert.

Psychology of sport and exercise·2025
Same author

Why societies are important and grow so large: Tribes, nations, and teams.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2025
Same author

Motivation needs cognition but is not just about cognition.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2025
Same journal

Task-induced transient depersonalization- and derealization-like experiences: a comparative examination of mirror gazing and fixed attention tasks.

Consciousness and cognition·2026
Same journal

Information compression trumps accuracy when viewing groups of faces.

Consciousness and cognition·2026
Same journal

Memory for scene details in eye-movement behavior, with and without awareness.

Consciousness and cognition·2026
Same journal

When one part feels, the whole belongs: associations between local touch referral and illusory full-limb ownership in individuals with leg amputation.

Consciousness and cognition·2026
Same journal

Inhibitory control and mind wandering; more difficult inhibition decreases mind wandering, within limits.

Consciousness and cognition·2026
Same journal

Autism and Aphantasia.

Consciousness and cognition·2026
See all related articles

Conscious reflection is crucial for logical reasoning. Hindering conscious thought impairs logic, while nonconscious processes do not significantly improve it, highlighting the brain

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Social Cognition

Background:

  • Humans possess conscious awareness and reflective capabilities, distinguishing them from other animals.
  • A debate exists within psychological science regarding the benefits of consciousness.
  • This study tests the hypothesis that conscious, reflective processing is essential for logical reasoning.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of conscious, reflective processing in logical reasoning.
  • To determine if cognitive load or nonconscious processes impact logical reasoning abilities.
  • To examine the effect of consciously aiming for good reasoning on performance.

Main Methods:

  • Four experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis.
  • Experiment 1 used cognitive load manipulation to occupy conscious processing.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Experiments 2a-2c involved nonconscious activation (priming) of logical reasoning concepts.
  • Experiment 4 stimulated the conscious goal of reasoning well.

    • Main Results:

    • Cognitive load significantly impaired logical reasoning.
    • Consciously suppressed thoughts did not impair reasoning.
    • Nonconscious priming of logic concepts did not improve reasoning unless conclusions were intuitive.
    • Stimulating the conscious goal of reasoning improved performance.

    Conclusions:

    • Logical reasoning is significantly aided by the conscious, reflective processing system.
    • Nonconscious processes do not appear to enhance logical reasoning capabilities.
    • Consciousness plays a vital role in complex cognitive functions like logical deduction.