Abstract
Brain images are believed to have a particularly persuasive influence on the public perception of research on cognition. Three experiments are reported showing that presenting brain
images with articles summarizing cognitive neuroscience research resulted in higher ratings
of scientific reasoning for arguments made in those articles, as compared to articles accompanied by bar graphs, a topographical map of brain activation, or no image. These data lend
support to the notion that part of the fascination, and the credibility, of brain imaging
research lies in the persuasive power of the actual brain images themselves. We argue that
brain images are influential because they provide a physical basis for abstract cognitive processes, appealing to people’s affinity for reductionistic explanations of cognitive phenomena.
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