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Related Experiment Video

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On the Source of Human Irrationality.

Mike Oaksford1, Simon Hall1

  • 1Birkbeck College, University of London, London, UK.

Trends in Cognitive Sciences
|April 24, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Human reasoning errors stem from System 2 (working memory and language), not System 1. Rational perceptuo-motor skills and social reasoning offer error correction insights.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Science
  • Neuroscience
  • Psychology

Background:

  • Human reasoning and decision-making are prone to errors, often attributed to the fast, evolutionarily older System 1.
  • However, perceptuo-motor decision-making in humans and animals demonstrates rationality, challenging this view.
  • Bayesian brain theory offers models for rational perceptuo-motor strategies that align with observed human data selection.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the origins of errors in human reasoning.
  • To explore the role of different cognitive systems (System 1 and System 2) in decision-making.
  • To reconcile rational perceptuo-motor skills with error-prone verbal reasoning.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of existing data on human and animal perceptuo-motor decision-making.

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  • Theoretical integration of Bayesian brain theory with cognitive models of reasoning.
  • Examination of the influence of working memory and language on reasoning processes.

    • Main Results:

    • Perceptuo-motor decision-making is largely rational, contrary to the assumption of System 1 being the primary source of error.
    • Errors in reasoning appear to originate from the later-evolved System 2, which utilizes working memory and language.
    • Unconscious generative models, accessible to individuals, can generalize and explain verbal reasoning outcomes.

    Conclusions:

    • The common attribution of reasoning errors to System 1 is likely incorrect; System 2 is a more probable source.
    • Language, while contributing to System 2 errors, also facilitates error correction through social interaction.
    • This revised understanding necessitates theoretical integration and suggests new empirical research directions in cognitive science.