The cognitive basis of alignment of intuitions

Perez Zapata, Daniel Ivan (2023). The cognitive basis of alignment of intuitions. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

In this PhD thesis, I report a series of experimental and individual-difference studies exploring the cognitive basis of a novel cognitive ability termed as alignment of intuitions. To research this, I focused on game-theoretic cases known as pure coordination games, in which players need to converge on the same responses with limited or no communication. By using a set of novel alignment tasks and a new methodological innovation, I provide strong support for the cognitive role of the alignment of intuitions in solving this behavioural economics coordination problem. The findings presented in this PhD project suggest that alignment of intuitions is a relational capacity used by a number of cohorts (e.g., children as young as five years) to coordinate to one another. People use mutual intuition models to solve coordination problems using different modalities (i.e., visual and verbal) and formats (i.e., multiple-choice and open-ended questions). Different populations, including both British and Global participants, can flexibly adjust their intuitive patterns to converge with others by selecting similar or different focal points in freely-open scenarios. Intuitive alignment seems to be a domain-specific ability with signs of social and non-social domains. Social intuitive alignment may account for performance on a relevant social outcome such as mindreading above and beyond sociodemographic and verbal factors. Finally, I discuss the implications of alignment of intuitions for behavioural economics, psycholinguistics, and social cognition, commenting study limitations and delineating future lines of research.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):