Do culture and individual beliefs affect logical thinking? If so, how do they influence the conclusions we reach?

The first question that must be asked before answering this question is: What exactly is logical thinking? Logical thinking is the process in which one uses reasoning consistently to come to a conclusion. If this definition is strictly followed, logical thinking cannot be affected by any outside influences as long as the premises are truly valid. For example the syllogism:
All mammals are warm blooded.
Whales are mammals.
Whales are warm blooded.
is truly logical because the major premise is true. In a more 'general world' however, we refer to logical thinking as simply deducing a re…