Abductive reasoning in cognitive neuroscience: weak and strong reverse inference

Reverse inference is a crucial inferential strategy used in cognitive neuroscience to derive conclusions about the engagement of processes from patterns brain activation. While widely employed experimental studies, it now viewed with increasing scepticism within community. One problem reverse that logically invalid, being an instance abduction Peirce’s sense. In this paper, we offer first systematic analysis as form abductive reasoning and highlight some relevant implications for current debate. We start by formalising important distinction has been entirely neglected literature, namely between weak (strategic) strong (justificatory) inference. Then, rely on case studies recent neuroscientific research systematically discuss role limits both inference; particular, exploration discovery neuroscience.