Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Reason and Intuition

Reason and Intuition

The human brain processes information for decision-making using one of two routes: an intuitive system and a rational system (Epstein, 1994; popularized by Kahneman, 2011 as System 1 and System 2, respectively). The intuitive system is quick, impulsive, and operates with minimal effort, relying on emotions or habits to provide cues for what to do next, while the rational system is logical, analytical, deliberate, and methodical. Research in neuropsychology suggests that the brain can only use...

Reasoning

Reasoning

Reasoning is the action of thinking about something in a logical, sensible way. It is integral to problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking. Reasoning can be inductive or deductive. Reasoning involves transforming information into conclusions, which is essential for problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking.
Inductive reasoning involves deriving generalizations from specific observations. This type of reasoning helps form beliefs about the world. For example,...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

The Impact of Cognitive Load and Mathematical Proficiency on the SNARC Effect.

Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland)·2026

Same author

An integrated approach to mining layout design for compound-hazards mines with coordinated rockburst and water inrush control.

Scientific reports·2026

Same author

Modulating the spatial-numerical association of response codes effect by inhibitory control.

Journal of experimental psychology. Learning, memory, and cognition·2026

Same author

The Effect of Forgetting Strategies on Memory Performance: Behavioral and Electroencephalography Evidence.

Brain sciences·2025

Same author

The dynamic transfer of adaptive control in task switching: Event-related potential evidence.

International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology·2025

Same author

Task-Specific Modulation of Cognitive Control: Electrophysiological Evidence From Bivalency Effect in Task Switching.

PsyCh journal·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2026

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients

Published on: June 12, 2020

Electrophysiological difference between mental state decoding and mental state reasoning.

Bihua Cao¹, Yiyuan Li, Fuhong Li

¹Research Center for Psychological Development and Education, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian 116029, China.

|May 17, 2012

Summary

Mental state reasoning and decoding, components of Theory of Mind (ToM), show distinct neural patterns. Reasoning engages prefrontal brain regions earlier than decoding, suggesting unique cognitive processes.

More Related Videos

Detecting Pre-Stimulus Source-Level Effects on Object Perception with Magnetoencephalography

Detecting Pre-Stimulus Source-Level Effects on Object Perception with Magnetoencephalography

Published on: July 26, 2019

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task

Published on: July 22, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 22, 2026

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients

Published on: June 12, 2020

Detecting Pre-Stimulus Source-Level Effects on Object Perception with Magnetoencephalography

Detecting Pre-Stimulus Source-Level Effects on Object Perception with Magnetoencephalography

Published on: July 26, 2019

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task

Published on: July 22, 2025

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Psychology

Background:

Theory of Mind (ToM) involves understanding others' mental states.
Neural mechanisms of ToM components, mental state decoding and reasoning, are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the distinct neural correlates of mental state decoding and mental state reasoning.
To identify the temporal and spatial brain activity differences between these two ToM components.

Main Methods:

Participants performed mental state decoding, reasoning, and a physical control task while electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded.
Analysis focused on event-related potentials (ERPs), specifically N2 peak latency and Late Positive Component (LPC) amplitude.

Main Results:

Mental state reasoning showed an earlier N2 peak compared to mental state decoding over prefrontal sites.
The reasoning task elicited a more positive LPC deflection than decoding or physical tasks in the prefrontal cortex.
No significant left/right hemisphere differences were observed for either decoding or reasoning tasks.

Conclusions:

Mental state reasoning and decoding diverge early in neural processing, around 210 ms post-stimulus.
The prefrontal lobe plays a crucial role as the neural basis for mental state reasoning.