It's about saying a = x. That is an identification judgment. You don't have to believe me, but the brain is worse at that than at determining preference.
They have studies with patients who have zero long term memory. Every day they fail an X test by failing to identify people with whom they've interacted with repeatedly.
Nonetheless, they form adaptive preferences for these individuals based on whether those past interactions have been positive or negative. That is because the area of the brain responsible for preference is different (and more basic & important) than the area responsive for identification.
They have studies with patients who have zero long term memory. Every day they fail an X test by failing to identify people with whom they've interacted with repeatedly.
Nonetheless, they form adaptive preferences for these individuals based on whether those past interactions have been positive or negative. That is because the area of the brain responsible for preference is different (and more basic & important) than the area responsive for identification.