Question

Some research has shown that the amygdala is involved in processing positive emotions. A group of neuroscientists conduct a study in which participants are asked to watch short clips of this years Oscar nominated movies. The authors find that the movie “Black Panther” evoked more amygdala activity than any other movie that is likely to be nominated for an Oscar. Because there is considerable evidence in the scientific literature that the amygdala is involved in processing positive emotions, the authors conclude that people seemed to have liked this movie best. How is this an example of reverse inference?

Answer 1

Answer:

The reverse inference is a term which is used to denote the process through which what someone is thinking or feeling is inferred through the change of activity of neurons in the brain. In this example, the author is trying to establish that while watching a movie, the amygdala was activated which is activated when we process positive emotions such as pleasure, which implies that viewers must have enjoyed the movie. This type of reasoning is reverse inference.