# CogniDual Framework: Self-Training Large Language Models within a Dual-System Theoretical Framework for Improving Cognitive Tasks

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.03381 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.03381/

## Key facts

- Cited by 5 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Placed in Self-rewarding alignment and self-training, one of 13 directions in Synthetic data and self-improvement for LLMs.
- Builds on 21 of its 36 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 5 Sep 2024.

## Placed in

- Synthetic data and self-improvement for LLMs / [Self-rewarding alignment and self-training](https://mlsanity.com/synth/self-rewarding-alignment-and-self-training/)

## Builds on (most cited first, 21 of 21)

- [Attention Is All You Need](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1706.03762/) (2017)
- [GPT-4 Technical Report](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.08774/) (2023)
- [Training language models to follow instructions with human feedback](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.02155/) (2022)
- [LoRA: Low-Rank Adaptation of Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2106.09685/) (2021)
- [Llama 2: Open Foundation and Fine-Tuned Chat Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.09288/) (2023)
- [Chain-of-Thought Prompting Elicits Reasoning in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.11903/) (2022)
- [Training Verifiers to Solve Math Word Problems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2110.14168/) (2021)
- [Judging LLM-as-a-Judge with MT-Bench and Chatbot Arena](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.05685/) (2023)
- [Large Language Models are Zero-Shot Reasoners](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2205.11916/) (2022)
- [Self-Instruct: Aligning Language Models with Self-Generated Instructions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2212.10560/) (2022)
- [GPTQ: Accurate Post-Training Quantization for Generative Pre-trained Transformers](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.17323/) (2022)
- [Distilling Step-by-Step! Outperforming Larger Language Models with Less Training Data and Smaller Model Sizes](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.02301/) (2023)
- [Large Language Models Are Reasoning Teachers](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2212.10071/) (2022)
- [Specializing Smaller Language Models towards Multi-Step Reasoning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2301.12726/) (2023)
- [ReClor: A Reading Comprehension Dataset Requiring Logical Reasoning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2002.04326/) (2020)
- [Distilling Reasoning Capabilities into Smaller Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2212.00193/) (2022)
- [Explanations from Large Language Models Make Small Reasoners Better](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.06726/) (2022)
- [Task Contamination: Language Models May Not Be Few-Shot Anymore](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.16337/) (2023)
- [In-context Learning Distillation: Transferring Few-shot Learning Ability of Pre-trained Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2212.10670/) (2022)
- [Large Language Models in the Workplace: A Case Study on Prompt Engineering for Job Type Classification](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.07142/) (2023)
- [BTBR: A Bayesian-Theory-Driven Probabilistic-Fuzzy Framework for Implicit Bias Removal in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.10608/) (2024)

## Built on by (most cited first, 5 of 5)

- [Reasoning on a Spectrum: Aligning LLMs to System 1 and System 2 Thinking](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.12470/) (2025)
- [Reasoning or Not? A Comprehensive Evaluation of Reasoning LLMs for Dialogue Summarization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.02145/) (2025)
- [Reward Guidance for Reinforcement Learning Tasks Based on Large Language Models: The LMGT Framework](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.04744/) (2024)
- [Can an Easy-to-Hard Curriculum Make Reasoning Emerge in Small Language Models? Evidence from a Four-Stage Curriculum on GPT-2](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.11643/) (2025)
- [Beyond In-Domain Detection: SpikeScore for Cross-Domain Hallucination Detection](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.19245/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Cognitive psychology investigates perception, attention, memory, language, problem-solving, decision-making, and reasoning. Kahneman's dual-system theory elucidates the human decision-making process, distinguishing between the rapid, intuitive System 1 and the deliberative, rational System 2. Recent advancements have positioned large language Models (LLMs) as formidable tools nearing human-level proficiency in various cognitive tasks. Nonetheless, the presence of a dual-system framework analogous to human cognition in LLMs remains unexplored. This study introduces the CogniDual Framework for LLMs (CFLLMs), designed to assess whether LLMs can, through self-training, evolve from deliberate deduction to intuitive responses, thereby emulating the human process of acquiring and mastering new information. Our findings reveal the cognitive mechanisms behind LLMs' response generation, enhancing our understanding of their capabilities in cognitive psychology. Practically, self-trained models can provide faster responses to certain queries, reducing computational demands during inference.