Reasoning logically in cognitive domains.

Research in the field of human reasoning shows that the content of propositions involved in (deductive or inductive) logical tasks significantly influences task performance. Theoretical studies clearly show that reasoning is context sensitive and dependent on people goals and intentions. A large amount of experimental tasks in logic and reasoning have been produced in the last 50 years, in particular deductive tasks with syllogistic reasoning. Recently, research has moved to cognitive sciences and neurosciences, pointing at the different brain regions involved in reasoning and logical thinking; interesting findings concern the involvement in cognition of affective regions (e.g. amygdale), as well as the involvement in emotions of brain regions traditionally viewed as cognitive (e.g. frontal cortex). Cognition and emotion appear therefore integrated in the brain activity. We present here a review of the research developed in this field and conclude with the results of a study produced at the University of Chieti.