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Arguing, reasoning, and the interpersonal (cultural) functions of human consciousness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 March 2011

Roy F. Baumeister ,
E. J. Masicampo  and
C. Nathan DeWall
Roy F. Baumeister
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4301. [email protected]://www.psy.fsu.edu/~baumeistertice/index.html
E. J. Masicampo
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA [email protected]://ase.tufts.edu/psychology/ambady/ej.html
C. Nathan DeWall
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0044. [email protected]://www.uky.edu/~njdewa2/home.html
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Abstract

Our recent work suggests that (1) the purpose of human conscious thought is participation in social and cultural groups, and (2) logical reasoning depends on conscious thought. These mesh well with the argument theory of reasoning. In broader context, the distinctively human traits are adaptations for culture and inner processes serve interpersonal functions.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 34 , Issue 2 , April 2011 , pp. 74
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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References

Baumeister, R. F. (2005) The cultural animal: Human nature, meaning, and social life. Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baumeister, R. F. & Masicampo, E. J. (2010) Conscious thought is for facilitating social and cultural interactions: How mental simulations serve the animal–culture interface. Psychological Review 117:945–71.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Baumeister, R. F., Masicampo, E. J. & Vohs, K. D. (2011) Do conscious thoughts cause behavior? Annual Review of Psychology 62:331–62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
DeWall, C. N., Baumeister, R. F. & Masicampo, E. J. (2008) Evidence that logical reasoning depends on conscious processing. Consciousness and Cognition 17:628–45.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed