The influence of thinking dispositions on belief-bias inhibition process: Evidence from ERPs and neural oscillations

Abstract

Theories of belief-bias inhibition suggest that thinking dispositions play crucial roles in belief-bias inhibition. However, limited electrophysiological evidence supports the link between thinking disposition and belief-bias inhibition in reasoning. This study fills this gap by ascertaining precisely how individual differences in thinking disposition affect electrophysiological activity underlying the belief-bias inhibition process by analyzing ERPs and neural oscillations after controlling for cognitive factors (working memory and fluid intelligence). Participants with high-level thinking dispositions had larger P3 amplitudes, greater frontal theta band power, and reduced parietal alpha band power than their low-level counterparts in completing reasoning tasks with a logic-belief conflict. These results suggest that greater thinking disposition contributes to inhibition and overriding the belief-bias effect by directing more cognitive resources to resolve reasoning conflicts.