tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166625482024-03-06T21:46:58.303-08:00Phantoms of the MindA space for critical analysis and commentary on things related to comparative neurolinguistics and neurocognition, political psychology and behavioral economics.Jon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-21856761691189662172020-07-19T19:40:00.001-07:002020-07-19T19:40:50.018-07:00Inuit Parenting Style and Emotional Intelligences<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwRDyK3Qjbq1VblepVv7rYGfNekMS0EiLZVnj5xvPMVhHYibx6ZwHYaRHaXCJPHKNWnCn86_lS97UPTWZFKJYxqdC5aFNArumUs7xijil80zGrLF2mnGprv780_5I6tT-IFQGF/s1600/inuit-narratives.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwRDyK3Qjbq1VblepVv7rYGfNekMS0EiLZVnj5xvPMVhHYibx6ZwHYaRHaXCJPHKNWnCn86_lS97UPTWZFKJYxqdC5aFNArumUs7xijil80zGrLF2mnGprv780_5I6tT-IFQGF/s320/inuit-narratives.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
"Oral storytelling is what's known as a human universal. For tens of
thousands of years, it has been a key way that parents teach children
about values and how to behave.<br />
<br />
"Modern hunter-gatherer groups use stories to teach sharing, respect for both genders and conflict avoidance, a recent study <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5717173">reported</a>,
after analyzing 89 stories from nine different tribes in Southeast Asia
and Africa. With the Agta, a hunter-gatherer population of the
Philippines, good storytelling skills are prized more than hunting
skills or medicinal knowledge, the study found.<br />
<br />
"Today many
American parents outsource their oral storytelling to screens. And in
doing so, I wonder if we're missing out on an easy — and effective — way
of disciplining and changing behavior. Could small children be somehow
"wired" to learn through stories?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/03/13/685533353/a-playful-way-to-teach-kids-to-control-their-anger">https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/03/13/685533353/a-playful-way-to-teach-kids-to-control-their-anger</a>Jon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-76481693835256340372017-12-26T19:13:00.000-08:002017-12-26T19:13:10.134-08:00Neurotheology and the Co-Evolution of the Brain and Religion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kykitiAQ_MUlP2nkwL0jKShoKG6nAJXOjt29X5tlDdFGg-OAySqS2kF4b0RXbWMyDM7PMkhNTtxvNqn-nDXkDeWEfDTkATItA7AZl7J1zAPmQsV-GCwGBNhoBKz9PMJlTtTp/s1600/psns_a_1257437_f0003_c.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1502" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kykitiAQ_MUlP2nkwL0jKShoKG6nAJXOjt29X5tlDdFGg-OAySqS2kF4b0RXbWMyDM7PMkhNTtxvNqn-nDXkDeWEfDTkATItA7AZl7J1zAPmQsV-GCwGBNhoBKz9PMJlTtTp/s320/psns_a_1257437_f0003_c.jpeg" width="255" /></a></div>
<br />
<div itemprop="headline">
<br /></div>
<div itemprop="headline">
A recent piece, <a href="https://qz.com/852450/the-neuroscience-argument-that-religion-shaped-the-very-structure-of-our-brains/"><i>The neuroscience argument that religion shaped the very structure of our brains</i></a>, outlines some of the latest research in the field of Neurotheology.</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Jordan Grafman, head of the cognitive neuroscience laboratory at Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and neurology professor at Northwestern University, says that neurotheology is important in part because early religious practices helped develop our brains to begin with. “Religion has played an incredibly important role in human evolution. It’s funny, people want to separate the two but in fact they’re intertwined,” he says.<br />
<br />
For example, frontal lobes are necessary to future planning and controlling compulsive behavior, and therefore to the social arrangements within organized religion. But consistently practicing religious social behaviors likely strengthened those areas of the brain: “If we end up using more of one region, it will try to take up greater shape. It will expand a little bit. That’s no doubt what happened to the frontal lobes,” says Grafman.</blockquote>
<br />
<a name='more'></a>None of this should be particularly controversial. Anything that's been a part of human evolution for any length of time (cf. Deacon's <a href="http://www.childrenofthecode.org/interviews/deacon.htm">Co-Evolution of Language and the Brain</a>) will have co-evolved with the human brain.<br />
<br />
<br />
Olivia Goldhill: <i><b>The neuroscience argument that religion shaped the very structure of our brains</b></i><br />
<a href="https://qz.com/852450/the-neuroscience-argument-that-religion-shaped-the-very-structure-of-our-brains/">https://qz.com/852450/the-neuroscience-argument-that-religion-shaped-the-very-structure-of-our-brains/ </a><br />
<br />
Original research article cited in QZ.com piece above:<br />
<br />
Ferguson, M.A., Nielsen, J.A., King, J.B., Dai, L., Giangrasso, G.M., Holman, R., Korenberg, J.R., & Anderson, J.S. (2016). Reward, salience, and attentional networks are activated by religious experience in devout Mormons. <i>Social Neuroscience</i> 13(1)<br />
<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17470919.2016.1257437">https://doi.org/10.1080/17470919.2016.1257437</a><br />
<br />Jon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-87399650062639870212014-09-13T13:51:00.000-07:002014-09-13T13:51:12.136-07:00 Biases in Perceptions, Beliefs and Behavior<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKmUqgl2c5Ehu7oS04l-E0ekSH3pOFZXmn63BCFKqUCFxO1-_IJz89BlcOyUDKe3j2OE1sNsN2vBVSI-VV21bWi-X-QEMVwipNu67yuJH5_69knyeoxPQhp_bJ5Ah6b0pW3E9i/s1600/BiasPerception.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKmUqgl2c5Ehu7oS04l-E0ekSH3pOFZXmn63BCFKqUCFxO1-_IJz89BlcOyUDKe3j2OE1sNsN2vBVSI-VV21bWi-X-QEMVwipNu67yuJH5_69knyeoxPQhp_bJ5Ah6b0pW3E9i/s1600/BiasPerception.png" height="217" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Isabelle Brocas and Juan D. Carrillo <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Myriad Roman, Arial, Helvetica, Sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Myriad Roman, Arial, Helvetica, Sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><div id="abstract">
This paper presents a model where individuals have
imperfect information about their preferences (or the environment) and
there is an opportunity cost of learning. It shows that the endogenous
decision to collect information before taking an action creates a
systematic bias in the aggregate behavior of a population of rational,
profit-maximizing agents. More precisely, individuals will favor actions
with large payoff-variance, i.e., those which may potentially generate
the highest benefits even if they may also generate the biggest losses.
The paper thus concludes that systematically biased choices do not
necessarily imply that agents have irrational, systematically biased
beliefs. It also provides testable implications about the propensity of
individuals to incur different types of errors. Some applications such
as biases in judicial decision-making and career choices are discussed.</div>
</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Myriad Roman, Arial, Helvetica, Sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div id="abstract">
<span style="font-family: Myriad Roman, Arial, Helvetica, Sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div>
<div id="abstract">
<span style="font-family: Myriad Roman, Arial, Helvetica, Sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><<<a href="http://www-bcf.usc.edu/~juandc/PDFpapers/wp-selfinflu.pdf">www-bcf.usc.edu/~juandc/PDFpapers/wp-selfinflu.pdf</a>>></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Myriad Roman, Arial, Helvetica, Sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span>Jon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-58301720094768453112014-09-04T21:25:00.001-07:002014-09-04T21:28:19.845-07:00Whites See Racism as a Zero-Sum Game That They Are Now Losing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5PoF0harfhSt0NpcTw18_06XgHnq-Zi49MJLFcZD1-H64_kYsv4WP8IVSFhb1J_H264bfmo6zFcJXhaocE11zmm0arqKYN5NS9XA3GErjADnfKmfxlmI8DA1WlW7K-ofLLFX/s1600/NortonSommers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5PoF0harfhSt0NpcTw18_06XgHnq-Zi49MJLFcZD1-H64_kYsv4WP8IVSFhb1J_H264bfmo6zFcJXhaocE11zmm0arqKYN5NS9XA3GErjADnfKmfxlmI8DA1WlW7K-ofLLFX/s1600/NortonSommers.png" height="227" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Michael I. Norton, Samuel R. Sommers<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Abstract</b> Although some have heralded recent political and cultural developments as signaling the arrival of a postracial era in America, several legal and social controversies regarding ‘‘reverse racism’’ highlight Whites’ increasing concern about anti-White bias. We show that this emerging belief reflects Whites’ view of racism as a zero-sum game, such that decreases in perceived bias against Blacks over the past six decades are associated with increases in perceived bias against Whites—a relationship not observed in Blacks’ perceptions. Moreover, these changes in Whites’ conceptions of racism are extreme enough that Whites have now come to view anti-White bias as a bigger societal problem than anti-Black bias. </blockquote>
<br />
<b>Keywords</b> racism, zero-sum game, bias, affirmative action<br />
<br />
<i>Perspectives on Psychological Science</i> 6(3) 215–218<br />
doi: <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1745691611406922">10.1177/1745691611406922</a><br />
<a href="http://ase.tufts.edu/psychology/sommerslab/documents/raceinternortonsommers2011.pdf">http://ase.tufts.edu/psychology/sommerslab/documents/raceinternortonsommers2011.pdf </a>Jon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-53895121276333280912014-09-04T09:43:00.000-07:002014-09-04T09:43:28.792-07:00Social Tuning of Automatic Racial Attitudes: The Role of Affiliative Motivation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9NZEYCP2kvHFnMHzKBvEMJWgJHjWaaQsdGNS4SPGTjl7GJKTeoRZl-mHj6wTZ1BGiOMvE5gKG1MtgDAWnCCwe4_WKMN00445_lfqTPUPbtURKzmO4FhA-Be9eT3L-OYjFxebG/s1600/SocialTuning.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9NZEYCP2kvHFnMHzKBvEMJWgJHjWaaQsdGNS4SPGTjl7GJKTeoRZl-mHj6wTZ1BGiOMvE5gKG1MtgDAWnCCwe4_WKMN00445_lfqTPUPbtURKzmO4FhA-Be9eT3L-OYjFxebG/s1600/SocialTuning.png" height="388" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Stacey Sinclair, Brian S. Lowery, Curtis D. Hardin, Anna Colangelo<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Consistent with the affiliative social tuning hypothesis, this study showed that the desire to get along with another person shifted participants’ automatic attitudes toward the ostensible attitudes of that person. In Experiment 1, the automatic racial attitudes of women but not men emulated those of an experimenter displaying race-egalitarian attitudes or attitudes neutral with respect to race. Mediational analysis revealed that the gender difference in social tuning was mediated by liking for the experimenter. In Experiment 2, the likability of the experimenter was manipulated. Individuals who interacted with a likable experimenter exhibited social tuning more so than did those who interacted with a rude experimenter. These findings suggest that affiliative motives may elicit malleability of automatic attitudes independent of manipulations of social group exemplars. </blockquote>
<br />
Keywords: IAT, racial attitudes, automatic attitudes, shared reality, social tuning<br />
<br />
<i>Journal of Personality and Social Psychology </i><br />
2005, Vol. 89, No. 4, 583–592<br />
<br />
doi: <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.89.4.583">10.1037/0022-3514.89.4.583</a><br />
<a href="https://psych.princeton.edu/psychology/research/sinclair/pubs/autoprej2.pdf">https://psych.princeton.edu/psychology/research/sinclair/pubs/autoprej2.pdf </a>Jon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-50169561671869488952014-09-02T11:06:00.000-07:002014-09-02T11:13:46.718-07:00Weapon Bias: Split-Second Decisions and Unintended Stereotyping<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwhUIL-um5mLdi_J8y0QtIMHVc27oi5pEmQkVE385bWAs_q8ncuOkydPYCSAT_-2PLAJuB_i0-T-yZuQwLFlsydTS5CdzJvAICoiR-_bmnuu8Z3Qh-pDMrciJuj18V4Z6ENtW/s1600/WeaponBias.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwhUIL-um5mLdi_J8y0QtIMHVc27oi5pEmQkVE385bWAs_q8ncuOkydPYCSAT_-2PLAJuB_i0-T-yZuQwLFlsydTS5CdzJvAICoiR-_bmnuu8Z3Qh-pDMrciJuj18V4Z6ENtW/s1600/WeaponBias.png" height="396" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
B. Keith Payne<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
ABSTRACT— Race stereotypes can lead people to claim to see a weapon where there is none. Split-second decisions magnify the bias by limiting people’s ability to control responses. Such a bias could have important consequences for decision making by police officers and other authorities interacting with racial minorities. The bias requires no intentional racial animus, occurring even for those who are actively trying to avoid it. This research thus raises difficult questions about intent and responsibility for racially biased errors. <a href="http://www.unc.edu/~bkpayne/publications/Payne%2006.pdf">read more...</a></blockquote>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
KEYWORDS— implicit; attitude; stereotyping; prejudice; weapon<br />
<br />
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2006.00454.x">doi:10.1111/j.1467-8721.2006.00454.x </a><br />
<i>Current Directions in Psychological Science </i><br />
December 2006 vol. 15 no. 6 287-291 <br />
<a href="http://cdp.sagepub.com/content/15/6/287">http://cdp.sagepub.com/content/15/6/287</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.unc.edu/~bkpayne/publications/Payne%2006.pdf">http://www.unc.edu/~bkpayne/publications/Payne%2006.pdf </a>Jon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-22492800820080512612014-08-21T23:38:00.000-07:002014-08-21T23:44:17.985-07:00Fundamental Attribution Error and Conspiracy Theories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTc55owOQOkBVTfak5v1pk-gs9Lt6v8OBZul10-vXKTpAa9PlSCPbPL3CFZn8nBA_5X4DuwFbdKOkVr-APwWL0wqDI3HNQh9w1J5-R80PMzDo8dS5c71msqv37Jpu0hiYbY0OM/s1600/conspiracytheorists.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTc55owOQOkBVTfak5v1pk-gs9Lt6v8OBZul10-vXKTpAa9PlSCPbPL3CFZn8nBA_5X4DuwFbdKOkVr-APwWL0wqDI3HNQh9w1J5-R80PMzDo8dS5c71msqv37Jpu0hiYbY0OM/s1600/conspiracytheorists.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The dismissive attitude of intellectuals toward conspiracy theorists is
considered and given some justification. It is argued
that intellectuals are entitled to an attitude of
prima facie skepticism toward the theories propounded by conspiracy
theorists,
because conspiracy theorists have an irrational
tendency to continue to believe in conspiracy theories, even when these
take
on the appearance of forming the core of
degenerating research program. It is further argued that the pervasive
effect of
the “fundamental attribution error” can explain the
behavior of such conspiracy theorists. A rival approach due to Brian
Keeley,
which involves the criticism of a subclass of
conspiracy theories on epistemic grounds, is considered and found to be
inadequate. <a href="http://pos.sagepub.com/content/32/2/131.abstract">read more...</a></blockquote>
<br />
<a href="http://pos.sagepub.com/content/32/2/131.abstract">Conspiracy Theories and Conspiracy Theorizing </a><br />
Philosophy of the Social Sciences June 2002 vol. 32 no. 2 131-150 <br />
Steve Clarke Jon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-64630781028419940022014-08-21T06:03:00.000-07:002014-08-21T06:08:03.514-07:00Personal Responsibility and Self-serving Bias<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkRWUQSHGVQitLCTyIQkMtLahZbVI6UIxEmFjFqq3g4onddwLmlaLY4Mr4lzQ3Qfj6zTwNFbgNS1Q59g9MaNiRnjah65dTf3ifGL5yFar_ydBcPtyXZ_OHyKtWWIEn3F2aQTn/s1600/selfservingbias.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkRWUQSHGVQitLCTyIQkMtLahZbVI6UIxEmFjFqq3g4onddwLmlaLY4Mr4lzQ3Qfj6zTwNFbgNS1Q59g9MaNiRnjah65dTf3ifGL5yFar_ydBcPtyXZ_OHyKtWWIEn3F2aQTn/s1600/selfservingbias.png" height="251" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The self-serving bias refers to a tendency for people to take personal responsibility for their desirable outcomes yet externalize responsibility for their undesirable outcomes. We review a variety of explanations for this attribution bias. Although researchers have historically pitted cognitive and motivational explanations for the self-serving bias against one another, cognitive and motivation processes often work in tandem to lead people to conclude that they are responsible for the desirable but not the undesirable outcomes. <a href="http://www.psych.ufl.edu/~shepperd/articles/SSB2008.pdf">read more...</a></blockquote>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.psych.ufl.edu/~shepperd/articles/SSB2008.pdf">Exploring Causes of the Self-serving Bias </a><br />
<i>Social and Personality Psychology Compass</i> 2/2 (2008): 895–908, 10. 1111/j.1751-9004. 2008.00078.x <br />
James Shepperd, Wendi Malone and Kate SweenyJon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-66801660557866055252014-07-30T01:10:00.000-07:002014-07-30T01:10:38.609-07:00The Hazards of Correcting Myths About Health Care Reform<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi44JUpelMlzli2lY-p3S5hK55aZHqqgyk1S5dZ4lVSQg-YsvvKxC3hHyAwWMETO_NFFENg8V7Vlwegt9Nj3knlCF1xNE5mj20aKNL4OKsK3HylqAU6WE9Psb4r_rzTELoynPMM/s1600/death-panels.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi44JUpelMlzli2lY-p3S5hK55aZHqqgyk1S5dZ4lVSQg-YsvvKxC3hHyAwWMETO_NFFENg8V7Vlwegt9Nj3knlCF1xNE5mj20aKNL4OKsK3HylqAU6WE9Psb4r_rzTELoynPMM/s1600/death-panels.gif" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The correction reduced belief in death panels and strong
opposition to the reform bill among those who view Palin unfavorably and
those who view her favorably but have low political knowledge. However,
it backfired among politically knowledgeable Palin supporters, who were
<em>more</em> likely to believe in death panels and to strongly oppose reform if they received the correction.</blockquote>
<br />
<a href="http://journals.lww.com/lww-medicalcare/Abstract/2013/02000/The_Hazards_of_Correcting_Myths_About_Health_Care.2.aspx%5C">The Hazards of Correcting Myths About Health Care Reform </a><br />
Nyhan, Brendan PhD; Reifler, Jason PhD; Ubel, Peter A. MD<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
For more research about motivated reasoning, see the <a href="http://orthocomplemented-modular-lattices.blogspot.com/2014/07/effects-of-semantics-and-context-in.html">last</a> <a href="http://orthocomplemented-modular-lattices.blogspot.com/2014/07/when-corrections-fail-persistence-of.html">three</a> <a href="http://orthocomplemented-modular-lattices.blogspot.com/2014/07/motivated-reasoning-and-climate-change.html">posts</a>. Jon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-72703240432371938642014-07-28T20:54:00.001-07:002014-07-28T20:54:49.202-07:00Effects of Semantics and Context in Correcting the Obama Muslim Myth <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqbOBDSIJQjS70g8_wYeMJF9K2sgn7EwivJKhUdpuh5APxT0zFpW1h51C9o0tMqjkauiY-O57QGzEu6tsymotfTVQ99cn3QZ9mkqmXpzymcJ3wJAhBPBOl_37uRyRZZXwM7mX9/s1600/ObamaMuslim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqbOBDSIJQjS70g8_wYeMJF9K2sgn7EwivJKhUdpuh5APxT0zFpW1h51C9o0tMqjkauiY-O57QGzEu6tsymotfTVQ99cn3QZ9mkqmXpzymcJ3wJAhBPBOl_37uRyRZZXwM7mX9/s1600/ObamaMuslim.jpg" height="270" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Previous research has found that the effectiveness of corrective information can vary depending on its source and the characteristics and beliefs of recipients. In this paper, we examine two other factors that may affect the effectiveness of corrections – their semantic construction and the context in which they are delivered. Specifically, we conducted three experiments testing whether the effectiveness of corrections of the rumor that Barack Obama is a Muslim changed depending on their phrasing (negating the myth or affirming the truth). Our results varied dramatically depending on context. When a study was conducted by or attributed to non - white researchers, corrections reduced stated misperceptions among white participants. However, misperceptions often became worse in response to corrections when a study was conducted by or attributed to white researchers, particularl y among Republicans. These findings suggest that the context in which corrections are delivered can shape how people respond to them.</blockquote>
<br />
<a href="http://www.dartmouth.edu/~nyhan/obama-muslim.pdf">The Effects of Semantics and Context in Correcting the Obama Muslim Myth </a><br />
Brendan Nyhan, Jason Reifler, Christopher Edelman, William Passo, Ashley Banks, Emma Boston, Andrew Brown, Robert Carlson, KayAnne Gummersall, Elizabeth Hawkins, Lucy McKinstry, Jonathan Mikkelson, Emily Roesing, Vikram Srinivasan, Sarah Wakeman, Lindsey Wallace, and Rose YanJon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-42875897815449505542014-07-27T18:40:00.000-07:002014-07-27T18:40:06.862-07:00When Corrections Fail: The persistence of political misperceptions<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUzAFZFJw3b_JgGdKW7NCMD12QbJOSs2h1TI962Unkw-9Em1t7z5mVTxDpNQJemetbMt0Cl4kfLglJQ0GzlLvS3-JufUoOQ-cnIxywDVQJYLGUxNQczM3ZmsI7F2HYYhOzcpQ/s1600/Cognitive+Dissonance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUzAFZFJw3b_JgGdKW7NCMD12QbJOSs2h1TI962Unkw-9Em1t7z5mVTxDpNQJemetbMt0Cl4kfLglJQ0GzlLvS3-JufUoOQ-cnIxywDVQJYLGUxNQczM3ZmsI7F2HYYhOzcpQ/s1600/Cognitive+Dissonance.jpg" height="385" width="400" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Earlier this year, political scientists at Duke and Georgia State described the Bush administration’s claims about Iraqi WMDs to a group of adults, then gave those same people a convincing explanation that Iraq did not, in fact, have a WMD program in the works. How did the people react? Liberals became even more convinced that Iraq had no nuclear or chemical weapons; conservatives became even more certain that it did, with 64 percent of them insisting that Saddam was hiding the evidence. In other words, factual proof that a belief was false seemed only to reinforce that belief’s sway over reality. The scientists called it a backfire effect. <a href="http://www.veryshortlist.com/science/daily.cfm/review/621/Other_print_publication/when-corrections-fail/">read more...</a><b><br /></b></blockquote>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>When Corrections Fail: The persistence of political misperceptions</b><br />
Brendan Nyhan, Jason Reifler<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Abstract</b><br />
An extensive literature addresses citizen ignorance, but very lit tle research focuses on misperceptions . Can these false or unsubstantiated beliefs about politics be corrected? Previous studies have not tested the efficacy of corrections in a realistic format. We conducted four experiments in which subjects read mock ne ws articles that included either a misleading claim from a politician, or a misleading claim and a correction. Results indicate that corrections frequently fail to reduce misperceptions among the targeted ideological group. We also document several instanc es of a “backfire effect” in which corrections actually increase misperceptions among the group in question. </blockquote>
<br />
Full paper is here: <a href="http://www.dartmouth.edu/~nyhan/nyhan-reifler.pdf">http://www.dartmouth.edu/~nyhan/nyhan-reifler.pdf </a>Jon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-16091916650871651742014-07-25T04:00:00.000-07:002014-07-25T04:01:59.016-07:00Motivated Reasoning and Climate Change<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5tFD3XEjxXkwGgVnl0DD9WUMXJSa3LL2tFC9cZXz1ZpCRb8c0bx55eXbJ0Mb8LZZQ-nEmVPvcFlkg-pAd4DmOSFNz33FQNheRH14ouYcRXhxdkgWoHZXVFDBmXHg1_RLIH2J_/s1600/arctic_3_19464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5tFD3XEjxXkwGgVnl0DD9WUMXJSa3LL2tFC9cZXz1ZpCRb8c0bx55eXbJ0Mb8LZZQ-nEmVPvcFlkg-pAd4DmOSFNz33FQNheRH14ouYcRXhxdkgWoHZXVFDBmXHg1_RLIH2J_/s1600/arctic_3_19464.jpg" height="144" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://climateshiftproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/HartNisbet2011_BoomerangeEffectsClimate_CommunicationResearch.pdf">Boomerang Effects in Science Communication: How Motivated Reasoning and Identity Cues Amplify Opinion Polarization About Climate Mitigation Policies</a><br />
P. Sol Hart and Erik C. Nisbet<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The deficit-model of science communication assumes increased communication about science issues will move public consensus toward scientific consensus. However, in the case of climate change, public polarization about the issue has increased in recent years, not diminished. In this study, we draw from theories of motivated reasoning, social identity, and persuasion to examine how science-based messages may increase public polarization on controversial science issues such as climate change. Exposing 240 adults to simulated news stories about possible climate change health impacts on different groups, we found the influence of identification with potential victims was contingent on participants’ political partisanship. This partisanship increased the degree of political polarization on support for climate mitigation policies and resulted in a boomerang effect among Republican participants. Implications for understanding the role of motivated reasoning within the context of science communication are discussed. <a href="http://climateshiftproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/HartNisbet2011_BoomerangeEffectsClimate_CommunicationResearch.pdf">read more...</a></blockquote>
more examples <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2014/03/brendan-nyhan-backfire-effects-facts">here</a>.Jon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-74335836807350575232014-07-16T06:58:00.001-07:002014-07-16T07:44:48.958-07:00Social networking sites and political orientation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11apI5bGZaGXsNNpGzABpxr5Uuhv3E1wZ6a-qA7K3N86hTgFyxaW3Ae-uxnolirCUsQV8UJ9wxz5NwPGmvHbjpACiT2b4IRHLcOLlpvwUEcex-5XvWSsJ-NWuAK5__XCbgDR_/s1600/blocking.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11apI5bGZaGXsNNpGzABpxr5Uuhv3E1wZ6a-qA7K3N86hTgFyxaW3Ae-uxnolirCUsQV8UJ9wxz5NwPGmvHbjpACiT2b4IRHLcOLlpvwUEcex-5XvWSsJ-NWuAK5__XCbgDR_/s1600/blocking.png" /></a></div>
<h1 class="am-title">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></h1>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
It turns out that SNS postings reveal surprises for many users when
it comes to discovering the political views of their friends. We asked
all the SNS users in our survey whether they have ever learned that
someone’s beliefs were different than they thought based on something
they posted on the sites. Some 38% of SNS users said they had made that
discovery and 60% said they had not. <br />
Democrats, liberals, and people with very conservative views were
more likely than others to say that they had been surprised about
someone’s views as they were expressed on SNS. read more...</blockquote>
<br />
<a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/2012/03/12/main-findings-10/">http://www.pewinternet.org/2012/03/12/main-findings-10/</a>Jon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-13843544291931399682014-07-09T09:14:00.000-07:002014-07-09T09:14:31.988-07:00Political bias affects brain activity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLhaSD_rNJJ2pXWpf1CU7qydSfK7FaMY60lWbkGHTQVivfsOqWqkw-mzVtvOzVjGK4lyK7ZHAyqCEY5BSXcYOiMvNOmFfqShqRYR7vg4Diq7FfHUriRdEv8r3jJxPM3c_BpFz/s1600/obamabush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLhaSD_rNJJ2pXWpf1CU7qydSfK7FaMY60lWbkGHTQVivfsOqWqkw-mzVtvOzVjGK4lyK7ZHAyqCEY5BSXcYOiMvNOmFfqShqRYR7vg4Diq7FfHUriRdEv8r3jJxPM3c_BpFz/s1600/obamabush.jpg" height="323" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
An older one, but always good to keep in mind.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/id/11009379/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/political-bias-affects-brain-activity-study-finds/">Political Bias Affects Brain Activity, study finds: Democrats and Republicans both adept at ignoring facts, brain scans show</a><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="i1">
Democrats and Republicans alike are adept at making decisions
without letting the facts get in the way, a new study shows. </div>
<div class="i1">
<br /></div>
And they get quite a rush from ignoring information that's contrary to their point of view.<br />
...<br />
The test subjects on both sides of the political aisle reached
totally biased conclusions by ignoring information that could not
rationally be discounted, Westen and his colleagues say.<br />
<br />
Then, with their minds made up, brain activity ceased in the areas
that deal with negative emotions such as disgust. But activity spiked in
the circuits involved in reward, a response similar to what addicts
experience when they get a fix, Westen explained.<br />
<br />
The study points to a total lack of reason in political decision-making.<br />
<br />
"None of the circuits involved in conscious reasoning were
particularly engaged," Westen said. "Essentially, it appears as if
partisans twirl the cognitive kaleidoscope until they get the
conclusions they want, and then they get massively reinforced for it,
with the elimination of negative emotional states and activation of
positive ones." <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/id/11009379/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/political-bias-affects-brain-activity-study-finds/">read more...</a></blockquote>
<br />
...<br />
Jon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-52036920629965374582014-07-06T07:32:00.000-07:002014-07-06T07:32:42.067-07:00Personal Responsibility Bias: An Attributional Analysis of Reactions to Poverty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRL-xduKBdt6VbltfI4Jrj7r8QIqyvGnBwdz13eruOCKiAQRTGN6srvIRrrT6t8kBs3OTSfVzIg2luTxbxpglMGtFjr00hvxJFrok80sE0CYSZghf7enRZVS87jcIARAloEQ4h/s1600/homeless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRL-xduKBdt6VbltfI4Jrj7r8QIqyvGnBwdz13eruOCKiAQRTGN6srvIRrrT6t8kBs3OTSfVzIg2luTxbxpglMGtFjr00hvxJFrok80sE0CYSZghf7enRZVS87jcIARAloEQ4h/s1600/homeless.jpg" height="315" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://psr.sagepub.com/content/15/2/199.short">An Attributional Analysis of Reactions to Poverty: The Political Ideology of the Giver and the Perceived Morality of the Receiver</a><br />
<br />
<div color="#1a1a18" style="font: 12.0px 'Gill Sans'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<b>Bernard Weiner</b><span style="font: 7.8px 'Gill Sans';"><b>1</b></span><b>, Danny Osborne</b><span style="font: 7.8px 'Gill Sans';"><b>1</b></span><b>, and Udo Rudolph</b><span style="font: 7.8px 'Gill Sans';"><b>2 </b></span><span style="font: 10.0px 'Gill Sans';"><b>Abstract</b></span></div>
<div style="color: #1a1a18; font: 12.0px 'Gill Sans'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="font: 10.0px 'Gill Sans';"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="color: #1a1a18; font: 7.0px 'Gill Sans'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="color: #1a1a18; font: 10.0px 'Gill Sans'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">An
attributional analysis of reactions to poverty is presented. The
article begins by discussing the perceived causes of poverty and their
taxonomic properties (locus, stability, and controllability). One
antecedent of causal beliefs, political ideology, is then examined in
detail, followed by a review of the effects of causal beliefs on
emotions and behavior. It is contended that helping the poor is a moral
issue, but the moral evaluation concerns the targeted recipient of aid
rather than the potential help giver. Persons perceived as responsible
for their plight, a dominant construal for conservatives, elicit anger
and neglect. In contrast, those seen as not responsible for their
financial hardship, an outlook predominantly endorsed by liberals,
arouse sympathy and help giving. Sympathy is the most important proximal
determinant of aid. This analysis is extended to reactions to
achievement failure, abortion, and rape. Policy implications are also
examined. <a href="http://psr.sagepub.com/content/15/2/199.abstract">read more...</a></span></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="color: #1a1a18; font: 10.0px 'Gill Sans'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #1a1a18; font: 10.0px 'Gill Sans'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #1a1a18; font: 7.0px 'Gill Sans'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Personality and Social Psychology Review 15(2) 199–213 © 2011 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.</span></div>
<div style="color: #1a1a18; font: 7.0px 'Gill Sans'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">DOI: 10.1177/1088868310387615 http://pspr.sagepub.com</span></div>
<div style="color: #1a1a18; font: 10.0px 'Gill Sans'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<br /></div>
Jon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-78066389669035683842014-07-04T08:56:00.001-07:002014-07-04T08:56:44.408-07:00How political orientation shapes how you do math<div id="abstractTitle">
<h1 style="font-size: 18px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wzeAaagaEhmzD6g9JlTfLPINMe94LnnyXU-W6PAqqKm7aJ9aoUk3m5AJmk8HYV2Wkfhgtcim_MfFcCZI8apcB9Vy1BaZdqt3xIhAkhGbXaHKTWqO63U7J4Sqxr6-TrVOPgZJ/s1600/Politics+and+Numbers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wzeAaagaEhmzD6g9JlTfLPINMe94LnnyXU-W6PAqqKm7aJ9aoUk3m5AJmk8HYV2Wkfhgtcim_MfFcCZI8apcB9Vy1BaZdqt3xIhAkhGbXaHKTWqO63U7J4Sqxr6-TrVOPgZJ/s1600/Politics+and+Numbers.jpg" /></a></div>
</h1>
<h1 style="font-size: 18px;">
<a href="http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2319992">Motivated Numeracy and Enlightened Self-Government</a></h1>
</div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>
<span style="font-family: Myriad Roman, Arial, Helvetica, Sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Abstract: </span>
</b>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Myriad Roman, Arial, Helvetica, Sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span>
<div id="abstract">
<span style="font-family: Myriad Roman, Arial, Helvetica, Sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Why does public conflict over societal risks persist
in the face of compelling and widely accessible scientific evidence? We
conducted an experiment to probe two alternative answers: the “Science
Comprehension Thesis” (SCT), which identifies defects in the public’s
knowledge and reasoning capacities as the source of such controversies;
and the “Identity-protective Cognition Thesis” (ICT) which treats
cultural conflict as disabling the faculties that members of the public
use to make sense of decision-relevant science. In our experiment, we
presented subjects with a difficult problem that turned on their ability
to draw valid causal inferences from empirical data. As expected,
subjects highest in Numeracy — a measure of the ability and disposition
to make use of quantitative information — did substantially better than
less numerate ones when the data were presented as results from a study
of a new skin-rash treatment. Also as expected, subjects’ responses
became politically polarized — and even less accurate — when the same
data were presented as results from the study of a gun-control ban. But
contrary to the prediction of SCT, such polarization did not abate among
subjects highest in Numeracy; instead, it increased. This outcome
supported ICT, which predicted that more Numerate subjects would use
their quantitative-reasoning capacity selectively to conform their
interpretation of the data to the result most consistent with their
political outlooks. We discuss the theoretical and practical
significance of these findings.</span></div>
</blockquote>
<a href="http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2319992">http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2319992 </a><br />
The video below describes the findings in an accessible way. <br />
<br />
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<embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/CfoKor05k1I?version=3&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Jon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-10986071271985165652014-07-03T09:13:00.000-07:002014-07-03T09:13:10.610-07:00Evidence builds that meditation strengthens the brain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQs3ZxGMq90L-KlVQZ8Mfy3Qd7_672DZ_UWlh04LS1_dFk3LY0T4iYmHYomA7WHUTWyJsd5QU2LyBIjRGNFBmwJsNhs-jccHpbCtQbyKvHjm8CK_6x563W57XTX5-UsCnlBmV/s1600/Meditation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQs3ZxGMq90L-KlVQZ8Mfy3Qd7_672DZ_UWlh04LS1_dFk3LY0T4iYmHYomA7WHUTWyJsd5QU2LyBIjRGNFBmwJsNhs-jccHpbCtQbyKvHjm8CK_6x563W57XTX5-UsCnlBmV/s1600/Meditation.jpg" height="240" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/evidence-builds-that-meditation-230237">Evidence builds that meditation strengthens the brain, UCLA researchers say</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div>
Earlier evidence out of UCLA suggested that meditating for years
thickens the brain (in a good way) and strengthens the connections
between brain cells. Now a further report by UCLA researchers suggests
yet another benefit.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Eileen Luders, an assistant
professor at the UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, and colleagues, have
found that long-term meditators have larger amounts of gyrification
(“folding” of the cortex, which may allow the brain to process
information faster) than people who do not meditate. Further, a direct
correlation was found between the amount of gyrification and the number
of meditation years, possibly providing further proof of the brain’s
neuroplasticity, or ability to adapt to environmental changes. <a href="http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/evidence-builds-that-meditation-230237">read more...</a></div>
</blockquote>
Jon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-203796421293410372014-07-02T13:49:00.000-07:002014-07-02T13:58:39.882-07:00You're more biased than you think – even when you know you're biased Nobody’s political opinions are just the pure, objective, unvarnished truth. Except yours, obviously<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSCTL2esoQ9iZFcM8oxIK68i6grVB6MXajB0LCIeDmgq6n-h5bXEKM9kdPNdkff0V9tGNDszlF_m_QvP8lMalX_1plSAQVWqRvCOD9VX1ynd8D6h36bCH-SZHz3Q7Ifx1Db6ze/s1600/politicalbias.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSCTL2esoQ9iZFcM8oxIK68i6grVB6MXajB0LCIeDmgq6n-h5bXEKM9kdPNdkff0V9tGNDszlF_m_QvP8lMalX_1plSAQVWqRvCOD9VX1ynd8D6h36bCH-SZHz3Q7Ifx1Db6ze/s1600/politicalbias.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">‘Even when people acknowledge that what they’re about to do is biased,
they still are inclined to see their resulting decisions as objective.’
Photo: Spencer Platt /Getty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/news/oliver-burkeman-s-blog/2014/feb/28/bias-political-psychology-burkeman-blog">You're more biased than you think – even when you know you're biased Nobody’s political opinions are just the pure, objective, unvarnished truth. Except yours, obviously</a><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
When it comes to the important issues, I’m pretty sure my opinions are just <i>right</i>.
Of course I am: if I thought they were wrong, I’d trade them in for
some different ones. But in reality, there’s plenty of evidence to
suggest that we’re all at least somewhat subject to bias – that my
support for stricter gun control laws here in the US, for example, is
partly based on wanting to support my team. Tell Republicans that some
imaginary policy is a Republican one, as the psychologist Geoffrey Cohen
<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14599246">did in 2003</a>,
and they’re much more likely to support it, even if it runs counter to
Republican values. But ask them why they support it, and they’ll deny
that party affiliation played a role. (Cohen found something similar for
Democrats. Maybe I mentioned Republicans more prominently because I’m
biased?) <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/news/oliver-burkeman-s-blog/2014/feb/28/bias-political-psychology-burkeman-blog">read more...</a></blockquote>
Jon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-46271908506297520732014-06-30T18:30:00.000-07:002014-06-30T18:30:54.130-07:00Psychological and Social Forces Behind Aggregate Financial Market Behavior<h1>
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15427560.2012.655383">Psychological and Social Forces Behind Aggregate Financial Market Behavior</a></span></h1>
Thomas Fenzl & Linda Pelzmann<sup></sup><h2>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Journal of Behavioral Finance<a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/hbhf20?open=13#vol_13"> Volume 13</a>,
<a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/hbhf20/13/1">
Issue 1</a>,
2012</span>
</h2>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><div class="hd hasAbstract">
<div class="gutter">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;">Abstract</span></h2>
</div>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The cycle of boom and crash is a “natural” element in financial market
history, and numerous research works have provided evidence that market
prices spend far more time deviating from postulated theoretical
equilibrium than actually tending towards it. In particular,
nonmean-reverting dynamism in financial markets may be produced by mass
psychological dynamics in the patterns of human aggregate behavior,
which result from nonrational herding impulses sensed by market
participants in complex and uncertain situations. Based on a literature
review and the analysis of several case studies, this paper elucidates
postulated mechanisms behind, and characteristics of, herding in
financial markets. The main goal is to raise awareness of the often
little-understood point that collective behavior does not simply sum up
preexisting individual motives and preferences. Thus, the paper focuses
on the mechanism of how individually unintended aggregate outcomes such
as financial market booms and panics are shaped by collective dynamics
and social interactions between traders and their social environment.</blockquote>
<br />
<dl>
<dt><strong>DOI:</strong>10.1080/15427560.2012.655383</dt>
</dl>
Jon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-65837220792705260522014-03-03T10:39:00.002-08:002014-03-03T10:41:13.187-08:00Unreliable research: Trouble at the lab<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjOTGJ6pqYxtFeQIL6Cpe0TI3aOuM1GEwXKbOrDX01ZR_OJqOI93NBKqiDk76ArAsLuHl3hlHs7HfU-LLZsRoNz64UjaJm8WuW5rVlFA03zEMA74qg1BKiI4mWAoRsceiN_uwH/s1600/20131019_FBD001_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjOTGJ6pqYxtFeQIL6Cpe0TI3aOuM1GEwXKbOrDX01ZR_OJqOI93NBKqiDk76ArAsLuHl3hlHs7HfU-LLZsRoNz64UjaJm8WuW5rVlFA03zEMA74qg1BKiI4mWAoRsceiN_uwH/s1600/20131019_FBD001_0.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br />
The negative results are much more trustworthy; for the case where the
power is 0.8 there are 875 negative results of which only 20 are false,
giving an accuracy of over 97%. But researchers and the journals in
which they publish are not very interested in negative results. They
prefer to accentuate the positive, and thus the error-prone. Negative
results account for just 10-30% of published scientific literature,
depending on the discipline. This bias may be growing. A study of 4,600
papers from across the sciences conducted by Daniele Fanelli of the
University of Edinburgh found that the proportion of negative results
dropped from 30% to 14% between 1990 and 2007. Lesley Yellowlees,
president of Britain’s Royal Society of Chemistry, has published more
than 100 papers. She remembers only one that reported a negative result.</blockquote>
<br />
Read more here: <a href="http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21588057-scientists-think-science-self-correcting-alarming-degree-it-not-trouble">http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21588057-scientists-think-science-self-correcting-alarming-degree-it-not-trouble</a>Jon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-78669547964809990542013-04-04T20:54:00.000-07:002013-04-04T20:56:00.914-07:00Music Creativity and the Brain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOF_lAar3pDkpQw3m2ATtaps5euNZGB7CSHteZ6RF-i1x7KKY3Kbb64LLGWzcaSYQ5m7gk6moJGBpoX_LN7bLe9-YhNqWGaHSssRBAC3ezoReWcIdrsZtjqNYs4oVkerfwOuL/s1600/limb_lopez_gonzalez_cont.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOF_lAar3pDkpQw3m2ATtaps5euNZGB7CSHteZ6RF-i1x7KKY3Kbb64LLGWzcaSYQ5m7gk6moJGBpoX_LN7bLe9-YhNqWGaHSssRBAC3ezoReWcIdrsZtjqNYs4oVkerfwOuL/s320/limb_lopez_gonzalez_cont.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Intriguing!<br />
<br />
<span id="ctl00_cColumn_Article1_lblDetail">Improvisation, in comparison
to the production of overlearned material, was characterized by
widespread activation in sensorimotor and language areas. Furthermore,
activity observed in the PFC included both deactivation of the DLPFC and
lateral orbital (LOFC) regions and focal activation of the medial
prefrontal cortex (MPFC). In comparison to the more musically
constrained generation studies, this study reveals a state of
free-flowing complex musical ideas that may result from the combination
of internally generated self-expression (via the MPFC) and attenuation
of activity in the DLPFC. This observation is additionally intriguing
given that altered states of mind such as dreaming, meditation, and
hypnosis have produced such “turning-off” of executive functioning.<sup>41</sup></span><br />
<br />
<span id="ctl00_cColumn_Article1_lblDetail"><sup>read more here: <a href="http://www.dana.org/news/cerebrum/detail.aspx?id=35670">http://www.dana.org/news/cerebrum/detail.aspx?id=35670</a> </sup></span>Jon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-59880931118832910342013-04-03T14:04:00.001-07:002013-04-04T20:54:39.833-07:00Prehistoric Human Brain Found Pickled in Bog<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_Hu9cTnrqS4sHJc_BUx-uRiYqvwj-e9HcmU1_BaBRF2T-I6t86gcbHVPTcIBs2OTuXI_eP84XPdEqq8aA2KfU6XunKkz70VC4KftO3TBqoA8zixE5IfOctDJO1137Rq-XD5b/s1600/preserved-brain-bog-england-110406-676254-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_Hu9cTnrqS4sHJc_BUx-uRiYqvwj-e9HcmU1_BaBRF2T-I6t86gcbHVPTcIBs2OTuXI_eP84XPdEqq8aA2KfU6XunKkz70VC4KftO3TBqoA8zixE5IfOctDJO1137Rq-XD5b/s1600/preserved-brain-bog-england-110406-676254-.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Speaking of <a href="http://orthocomplemented-modular-lattices.blogspot.com/2013/04/president-obamas-plan-to-explore-brain.html">Brain Research</a>, one of the world's best preserved prehistoric human brains was recently found in a waterlogged U.K. pit!<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
- The brain belonged to an Iron Age man who was hanged and then
decapitated, with his head falling in the pit shortly thereafter.<br />
<br />
- Scientists believe that submersion in liquid, anoxic environments helps to preserve human brain tissue.<br />
<br />
A human skull dated to about 2,684 years ago with an
"exceptionally preserved" human brain still inside of it was recently
discovered in a waterlogged U.K. pit, according to a new <i>Journal of Archaeological Science</i> study.<br />
<br />
The brain is the oldest known intact human brain from Europe
and Asia, according to the authors, who also believe it's one of the
best-preserved ancient brains in the world.</blockquote>
<br />
More info here: <a href="http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/preserved-brain-bog-england-110406.htm">http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/preserved-brain-bog-england-110406.htm </a>Jon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-68346157961234488582013-04-03T07:35:00.000-07:002013-04-03T07:35:34.351-07:00 President Obama's Plan To Explore The Brain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7WwB_0ielRw-TbykcL4keEYBRW3f-q8HgLGqbJFJqXPZIM_H1C4EHbhNtKWguACvPuvWa4faQAPbzD9DeGlEW2-B7IE0MwKOqiUmXFbmUpBqDw5bZP35QuhxU4YIxtCl6v2Cv/s1600/brainz1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7WwB_0ielRw-TbykcL4keEYBRW3f-q8HgLGqbJFJqXPZIM_H1C4EHbhNtKWguACvPuvWa4faQAPbzD9DeGlEW2-B7IE0MwKOqiUmXFbmUpBqDw5bZP35QuhxU4YIxtCl6v2Cv/s320/brainz1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
It's about time!<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In a speech Tuesday, Obama said he will ask Congress for $100 million
in 2014 to "better understand how we think and how we learn and how we
remember." Other goals include finding new treatments for Alzheimer's
disease, epilepsy and traumatic brain injury.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://www.nih.gov/science/brain/">Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies</a>
(BRAIN) initiative would accomplish this by developing tools that would
allow researchers to monitor millions or even billions of individual
neurons as they interact to form thoughts or create memories.</blockquote>
<br />
Read more here: <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/04/02/176060875/obama-s-brain-map-plan-a-most-audacious-project">http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/04/02/176060875/obama-s-brain-map-plan-a-most-audacious-project </a>and <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/04/03/obama-launches-brain-initiative-to-map-the-human-brain.html">http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/04/03/obama-launches-brain-initiative-to-map-the-human-brain.html</a>Jon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-87801919104439253532013-02-28T09:47:00.000-08:002013-02-28T09:47:42.420-08:00The Language We Speak Predicts Saving and Health Behavior The Language We Speak Predicts Saving and Health Behavior<br />
<a href="http://qn.som.yale.edu/content/language-we-speak-predicts-saving-and-health-behavior">http://qn.som.yale.edu/content/language-we-speak-predicts-saving-and-health-behavior</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The relationship between language and behavior holds not only
across countries, but also within countries that have multiple national
languages. Chen compared individuals with identical income, education,
family structure, and country of birth, but who speak different
languages within the same country. Speakers of languages with weak
distinctions between the present and the future were 31% more likely to
have saved money in any given year, had accumulated 39% more wealth by
retirement, were 24% less likely to smoke, were 29% more likely to be
physically active, and were 13% less likely to be medically obese
compared to speakers of languages that make a strong distinction between
the present and the future. </blockquote>
Working paper is here:<br />
<a href="http://faculty.som.yale.edu/keithchen/papers/LanguageWorkingPaper.pdf">http://faculty.som.yale.edu/keithchen/papers/LanguageWorkingPaper.pdf</a>Jon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16662548.post-32482900968214390632013-01-06T21:05:00.001-08:002013-01-07T00:37:51.465-08:00Cross-Cultural Variance of Schizophrenia in Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnan-AZbwubqpdfkKEPVucHqLV3QVQlCAoTrUjiRIh9GmAMNmlrzS6lphR5v0efli9pbtpLJvyp5TyH2lE6IpR3wxGebURTz1RXTj21O39FhNcg3W0joFx8Dk5lY5pqT0TjcN/s1600/mind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnan-AZbwubqpdfkKEPVucHqLV3QVQlCAoTrUjiRIh9GmAMNmlrzS6lphR5v0efli9pbtpLJvyp5TyH2lE6IpR3wxGebURTz1RXTj21O39FhNcg3W0joFx8Dk5lY5pqT0TjcN/s400/mind.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<h1 class="entry-title">
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></h1>
<h1 class="entry-title">
<a href="https://blogs.commons.georgetown.edu/journal-of-health-sciences/issues-2/vol-6-no-2-july-2012/cross-cultural-variance-of-schizophrenia-in-symptoms-diagnosis-and-treatment/"><span style="font-size: small;">Cross-Cultural Variance of Schizophrenia in Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment </span></a></h1>
<h1 class="entry-title">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This is an intriguing survey of the literature on <span style="font-size: small;">cross-cultural analys<span style="font-size: small;">es of schizophrenia. Given broader ep<span style="font-size: small;">idemiological data, we can get a more nuanced view of what this disorder is. I recall reading some studies which talked about the lack of (or <span style="font-size: small;">less frequent</span> occurr<span style="font-size: small;">e</span>nce of) auditory hallucinations in Chinese Populations which gels pretty well with the actual lang<span style="font-size: small;">ua</span>ge differences between <span style="font-size: small;">synthetic</span>/alphabetic and <span style="font-size: small;">analytic</span>/logographic languages and how those populations use them (as well as how these kinds of languages can shape the brain).</span></span></span></span></span></h1>
<h1 class="entry-title">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a name='more'></a> </span></span></span></span></span></h1>
<h1 class="entry-title">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">As </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Heejung Kim has demonstrated <a href="http://www.apa.org/science/about/psa/2010/06/sci-brief.aspx">in a number of studies</a>, Asian Americans cognitive performances can be sever<span style="font-size: small;">ely hindered by verbalization tasks:</span></span></span></span></span></span></h1>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<h1 class="entry-title">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the first set of studies (Kim, 2002), Asian American and European
American participants were instructed to solve a number of problems from
the Raven’s Progressive Matrices (Raven, 1941). They were randomly
assigned either to a silence condition or to a verbalization condition
in which they were to verbalize their thought processes during the
problem solving task. The results of these studies show that
verbalization of thought processes impairs cognitive performance among
Asian Americans but not among European Americans.</span></span></span></span></span></h1>
<h1 class="entry-title">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">...</span></span></span></span></span></h1>
<h1 class="entry-title">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">An experimental manipulation to suppress internal articulation (i.e.,
saying the alphabet aloud repeatedly) interfered with the performance of
European Americans, but not of Asian Americans. These results support
the idea that European Americans engage in more verbal thinking,
compared to Asian Americans. Verbalization of thoughts appears to be a
more complicated task for Asian Americans who have to convert their
non-verbal thoughts to words than for European Americans who merely need
to vocalize the internal articulation.</span></span></span></span></span></h1>
</blockquote>
<h1 class="entry-title">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">These cultural differences can play a significant role in diagnoses and treatment of disorders which include specific <span style="font-size: small;">symptoms related to the significance of verbalization. One of the issues I discuss at this blog is how so much of medical research--especially psychological research--has traditionally been conducted with biased sa<span style="font-size: small;">mples. This is simply due to the fact that the most prevalent subjects used in the studies have come from college populations, which<span style="font-size: small;"> in the West <span style="font-size: small;">(and particularly <span style="font-size: small;">in the US) tend to be composed of mostly Caucasians or European Americans.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h1>
<h1 class="entry-title">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">This can lead to the pronouncement of norms which do not take into account the diversity of different ethnic or racial groups.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h1>
<h1 class="entry-title">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">This has also been t<span style="font-size: small;">he point of criticism for other <span style="font-size: small;">universal<span style="font-size: small;"> theories of hu<span style="font-size: small;">man phenomenon such as linguistics <span style="font-size: small;">(cf. Criticisms of Chomsky's Universal Grammar) or human consciousness (cf. Jaynes' usage of the <span style="font-size: small;">auditory hallucination<span style="font-size: small;">--which isn't a universal symptom of schizophrenia--to <span style="font-size: small;">hypothesize his Bicameralism).</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h1>
<h1 class="entry-title">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fortunately, these older the<span style="font-size: small;">ories are outdated artifacts of a Western or Eurocentric <span style="font-size: small;">world view and we're finally starting to collect the epidemiological data that shows the <span style="font-size: small;">actual differences in populations.</span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h1>
<h1 class="entry-title">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">See also: <a href="http://www.academia.edu/650212/Update_Schizophrenia_across_Cultures">Schizophrenia Across Cultures</a>, and <a href="http://www.mentalhealth.com/mag1/wolfgang.html"><span style="font-size: small;">Cultural Factors in Psychiatric Disorders</span></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </h1>
<h1 class="entry-title">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></h1>
Jon Silpayamananthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17956747018534076778noreply@blogger.com0