Dual-Self Theory (Haidt) posits that our conscious brain has two distinct parts that function simultaneously. Which two parts are they?

• A. Mammalian brain and Primate brain
• B. Limbic system and Neocortex
• C. Brainstem and Cerebellum
• D. Left hemisphere and Right hemisphere

Answer: (A)

Dual-Self Theory is about two processing styles: a fast, automatic, emotionally driven system and a slower, deliberate, rational system. The two parts map to the limbic system, which handles emotions and quick judgments, and the neocortex, which supports reasoning and self-control. This framing explains why people often feel an intuition or impulse but can also reflect and regulate those urges. Other options mix up brain regions in ways that don’t capture the two-processing idea Haidt emphasizes—basic life-control regions, general hemispheric differences, or broad evolutionary distinctions don’t describe the fast vs. slow, emotion-driven vs. reason-driven pairing. So the correct pairing is limbic system and neocortex.