scholarly journals fMRI Evidence for a Three-Stage Model of Deductive Reasoning

2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 320-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Fangmeier ◽  
Markus Knauff ◽  
Christian C. Ruff ◽  
Vladimir Sloutsky
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Deductive Reasoning ◽  
Memory Load ◽  
Logical Thinking ◽  
Stage Model ◽  
Phase 2 ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Working Memory Load ◽  
Memory Problems

Deductive reasoning is fundamental to science, human culture, and the solution of problems in daily life. It starts with premises and yields a logically necessary conclusion that is not explicit in the premises. Here we investigated the neurocognitive processes underlying logical thinking with event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging. We specifically focused on three temporally separable phases: (1) the premise processing phase, (2) the premise integration phase, and (3) the validation phase in which reasoners decide whether a conclusion logically follows from the premises. We found distinct patterns of cortical activity during these phases, with initial temporo-occipital activation shifting to the prefrontal cortex and then to the parietal cortex during the reasoning process. Activity in these latter regions was specific to reasoning, as it was significantly decreased during matched working memory problems with identical premises and equal working memory load.

Assessment of Processing Capacity

2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 216-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damian P. Birney ◽  
David B. Bowman ◽  
Jens F. Beckmann ◽  
Yuan Zhi Seah
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Fluid Intelligence ◽  
Deductive Reasoning ◽  
Memory Load ◽  
Latin Square ◽  
Business Managers ◽  
Working Memory Load ◽  
Midlevel Managers ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Sem Analyses

Research over the last 10 years on Latin square tasks (LST) suggests a significant potential for their use in assessing fluid cognition. In the current work, we outline the LST and the more complex Greco-Latin square task (GLST). The objectives were (1) to validate the appropriateness of LST as measures of fluid cognition in business managers and (2) to demonstrate the separation of the LST into working memory and deductive reasoning components. Participants were 264 midlevel managers from four large international companies. Consistent with expectations, SEM analyses indicated that the GLST and the LST are highly correlated with fluid intelligence (Gf), and that working memory load could be differentiated from reasoning load in the LST and provided incremental predictive validity of Gf. Results are supportive of our expectations and provide evidence that LST are appropriate for psychological assessment as they are based on a strong theory of fluid cognition, have sound psychometric properties, and have substantial pragmatic utility in terms of the capacity for rapid item generation.

Presence of Distractor Improves Time Estimation Performance in an Adult ADHD Sample

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (11) ◽  
pp. 1530-1537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clara Pretus ◽  
Marisol Picado ◽  
Antoni Ramos-Quiroga ◽  
Susanna Carmona ◽  
Vanessa Richarte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adult Adhd ◽  
Memory Load ◽  
Time Estimation ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Working Memory Load ◽  
Estimation Performance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Brain

Objective: It is widely accepted that patients with ADHD exhibit greater susceptibility to distractors, especially during tasks with higher working memory load demands. However, no study to date has specifically measured the impact of distractors on timing functions, although these have consistently shown alterations in ADHD. In this investigation, we aimed to elucidate the neural mechanisms mediating distractor effects on timing functions. Method: We employed a time estimation functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) paradigm including a distracting element in half of the trials in a sample of 21 patients with ADHD and 24 healthy controls. Results: As expected, the effect of the distractor was greater in ADHD patients, where it was associated with increased orbitofrontal activity compared with controls. Behaviorally, time estimation performance benefited from the presence of distractors in both groups. In turn, such improvement correlated with medial frontal and insular activity in the brain. Conclusion: These results suggest that distractors could be stimulating recruitment of frontal resources in ADHD, thus contributing to increase focus on the task.

Visual Search Facilitation in Repeated Displays Depends on Visuospatial Working Memory

2012 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela A. Manginelli ◽  
Franziska Geringswald ◽  
Stefan Pollmann
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Visual Search ◽  
Control Experiment ◽  
Memory Load ◽  
Contextual Cueing ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Visuospatial Working Memory ◽  
Working Memory Load ◽  
Memory Resources

When distractor configurations are repeated over time, visual search becomes more efficient, even if participants are unaware of the repetition. This contextual cueing is a form of incidental, implicit learning. One might therefore expect that contextual cueing does not (or only minimally) rely on working memory resources. This, however, is debated in the literature. We investigated contextual cueing under either a visuospatial or a nonspatial (color) visual working memory load. We found that contextual cueing was disrupted by the concurrent visuospatial, but not by the color working memory load. A control experiment ruled out that unspecific attentional factors of the dual-task situation disrupted contextual cueing. Visuospatial working memory may be needed to match current display items with long-term memory traces of previously learned displays.

A high working memory load eliminates the numerical distance effect

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin A. Maloney ◽  
Evan F. Risko ◽  
Derek Besner ◽  
Jonathan A. Fugelsang
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Memory Load ◽  
Distance Effect ◽  
Numerical Distance ◽  
Working Memory Load ◽  
Numerical Distance Effect
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