Divergent hemispheric reasoning strategies: reducing uncertainty versus resolving inconsistency
Converging lines of evidence from diverse research domains suggest that the left and right hemispheres play distinct, yet complementary, roles in inferential reasoning. Here, we review research on split-brain patients, brain-damaged patients, delusional patients, and healthy individuals that suggest...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2014-10-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00839/full |
| _version_ | 1818035915291885568 |
|---|---|
| author | Nicole L. Marinsek Benjamin O. Turner Michael eGazzaniga Michael eGazzaniga Michael B. Miller Michael B. Miller |
| author_facet | Nicole L. Marinsek Benjamin O. Turner Michael eGazzaniga Michael eGazzaniga Michael B. Miller Michael B. Miller |
| author_sort | Nicole L. Marinsek |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Converging lines of evidence from diverse research domains suggest that the left and right hemispheres play distinct, yet complementary, roles in inferential reasoning. Here, we review research on split-brain patients, brain-damaged patients, delusional patients, and healthy individuals that suggests that the left hemisphere tends to create explanations, make inferences, and bridge gaps in information, while the right hemisphere tends to detect conflict, update beliefs, support mental set-shifts, and monitor and inhibit behavior. Based on this evidence, we propose that the left hemisphere specializes in creating hypotheses and representing causality, while the right hemisphere specializes in evaluating hypotheses, and rejecting those that are implausible or inconsistent with other evidence. In sum, we suggest that, in the domain of inferential reasoning, the left hemisphere strives to reduce uncertainty while the right hemisphere strives to resolve inconsistency. The hemispheres’ divergent inferential reasoning strategies may contribute to flexible, complex reasoning in the healthy brain, and disruption in these systems may explain reasoning deficits in the unhealthy brain. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T07:02:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8a963d72b5ca474fb2efcf8ca05e1754 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5161 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T07:02:38Z |
| publishDate | 2014-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-8a963d72b5ca474fb2efcf8ca05e17542022-12-22T01:58:16ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience1662-51612014-10-01810.3389/fnhum.2014.00839111728Divergent hemispheric reasoning strategies: reducing uncertainty versus resolving inconsistencyNicole L. Marinsek0Benjamin O. Turner1Michael eGazzaniga2Michael eGazzaniga3Michael B. Miller4Michael B. Miller5University of California, Santa BarbaraUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraConverging lines of evidence from diverse research domains suggest that the left and right hemispheres play distinct, yet complementary, roles in inferential reasoning. Here, we review research on split-brain patients, brain-damaged patients, delusional patients, and healthy individuals that suggests that the left hemisphere tends to create explanations, make inferences, and bridge gaps in information, while the right hemisphere tends to detect conflict, update beliefs, support mental set-shifts, and monitor and inhibit behavior. Based on this evidence, we propose that the left hemisphere specializes in creating hypotheses and representing causality, while the right hemisphere specializes in evaluating hypotheses, and rejecting those that are implausible or inconsistent with other evidence. In sum, we suggest that, in the domain of inferential reasoning, the left hemisphere strives to reduce uncertainty while the right hemisphere strives to resolve inconsistency. The hemispheres’ divergent inferential reasoning strategies may contribute to flexible, complex reasoning in the healthy brain, and disruption in these systems may explain reasoning deficits in the unhealthy brain.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00839/fullDelusionsNeuroimaginglateralitylateralizationreasoningBelief updating |
| spellingShingle | Nicole L. Marinsek Benjamin O. Turner Michael eGazzaniga Michael eGazzaniga Michael B. Miller Michael B. Miller Divergent hemispheric reasoning strategies: reducing uncertainty versus resolving inconsistency Frontiers in Human Neuroscience Delusions Neuroimaging laterality lateralization reasoning Belief updating |
| title | Divergent hemispheric reasoning strategies: reducing uncertainty versus resolving inconsistency |
| title_full | Divergent hemispheric reasoning strategies: reducing uncertainty versus resolving inconsistency |
| title_fullStr | Divergent hemispheric reasoning strategies: reducing uncertainty versus resolving inconsistency |
| title_full_unstemmed | Divergent hemispheric reasoning strategies: reducing uncertainty versus resolving inconsistency |
| title_short | Divergent hemispheric reasoning strategies: reducing uncertainty versus resolving inconsistency |
| title_sort | divergent hemispheric reasoning strategies reducing uncertainty versus resolving inconsistency |
| topic | Delusions Neuroimaging laterality lateralization reasoning Belief updating |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00839/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nicolelmarinsek divergenthemisphericreasoningstrategiesreducinguncertaintyversusresolvinginconsistency AT benjaminoturner divergenthemisphericreasoningstrategiesreducinguncertaintyversusresolvinginconsistency AT michaelegazzaniga divergenthemisphericreasoningstrategiesreducinguncertaintyversusresolvinginconsistency AT michaelegazzaniga divergenthemisphericreasoningstrategiesreducinguncertaintyversusresolvinginconsistency AT michaelbmiller divergenthemisphericreasoningstrategiesreducinguncertaintyversusresolvinginconsistency AT michaelbmiller divergenthemisphericreasoningstrategiesreducinguncertaintyversusresolvinginconsistency |