Intuition as effective decision making system

The hippocampus is well known as the primary seat for memory.  Previous research suggested that this memory agent is also crucial for making relational (transitive) judgments, though this has been debated by researchers (PDF).  A new study in Psychological Science may help to resolve this question by illustrating that it is not necessary for such judgments or probabilistic learning.  In the study, hippocampal deactivation not only didn't prevent, but actually enhanced, participants' ability to make transitive inferences.  Researchers propose that the basal ganglia dopamine system, known to work in competition with the hippocampus, is the primary actor in implicit learning and was allowed fuller riegn while the hippocampus was deactivated.  Results indicates that the hippocampus is only critical before intuitive learning can kick in over multiple experiences, such as for early stages of explicit learning or when applying new information to novel concepts quickly.

This is interesting also because it illustrates two memory systems utilized during decision making.  And who knows - certain tasks are better learned and performed using reinforcement and intuition, so drugs such as the benzodiazepine used in this study may become learning tools.