Research Interests

Dual-process theories of the mind

Sometimes we intuitively know the answer to a problem: it simply pops into mind. At other times, thinking is slow, effortful, and laborious. This contrast has long inspired the idea that the mind relies on two types of thinking: a fast, intuitive mode and a slower, more deliberate one — often referred to as System 1 and System 2. My research examines how these two modes operate and interact. Although intuition has traditionally been seen as a source of reasoning biases and errors, my work suggests that it is often far more capable than assumed. Even biased reasoners can show intuitive awareness that their answer may be questionable, and sound reasoning often relies on surprisingly accurate intuitions. I am especially interested in what these findings imply for our view of rationality and the architecture of the human mind — and, increasingly, artificial intelligence.

Development of reasoning

Together with my team, I am also studying how intuitive and deliberate thinking develop across the lifespan. Do we become more intuitive or more deliberate thinkers with age? The answer appears to be: both. This also raises the question of how education shapes this developmental trajectory and influences deliberate and intuitive reasoning capacities.

Neural basis of reasoning

How is thinking implemented in the brain? I am interested in the neural processes that underlie intuitive and deliberate reasoning. A central question is whether the two forms of thought rely on shared or distinct brain mechanisms. This work aims to clarify how the brain supports both biased and sound reasoning, and how intuition and deliberation interact.

Debiasing thinking

Unfortunately, people do not always reason correctly. Our team is also exploring how we can boost people's intuitive and deliberate thinking. We have developed some promising short training interventions — you can test this yourself here. I am especially interested in what these interventions can teach us about the nature of reasoning bias.

Folk thinking, fast and slow

A final line of work concerns how people perceive intuitive and deliberate thinking. When asking someone for advice, do people prefer a carefully reasoned answer or an immediate gut feeling? Spoiler: here deliberation typically seems to win. This work helps map people's folk beliefs about "good" thinking: what counts as careful, trustworthy, or intelligent thought. It asks how these beliefs shape our trust in others — and in the algorithms that ever more often advise us.

Funding

My research is mainly funded by the CNRS, ANR (Agence Nationale de la Recherche), Université Paris Cité, and the European Union's Horizon Europe program.