Here's a photo taken a while ago that never made it into a post. It's an advert I saw on a bus shelter. It isn't the clearest photo in the world, but it tells a story. The story it tells is very clearly expressed by the sociologist Zygmunt Bauman. It shows that in our society, … Continue reading Make your own rules
Category: psychology
Bias: it’s not a bug, it’s a feature
"Kahan’s argument about the woman who does not believe in global warming is a surprising and persuasive example of a general principle: if we want to understand others, we can always ask what is making their behaviour ‘rational’ from their point of view. If, on the other hand, we just assume they are irrational, no … Continue reading Bias: it’s not a bug, it’s a feature
Apparently, “Science Confirms The Obvious: Strict Parents Raise Conservative Kids”
"Science Confirms The Obvious: Strict Parents Raise Conservative Kids" - http://pulse.me/s/eC9fb If so, would it be possible to conduct similar experiments to test whether parents with a particularly strong cultural bias raise their children to have a similar bias? So, for example, do Fatalist parents raise Fatalist kids? My guess here is that the social … Continue reading Apparently, “Science Confirms The Obvious: Strict Parents Raise Conservative Kids”
Trusting our feelings
http://www.columbia.edu/~tdp4/recentpub.html Recent Publications from the journal of consumer research. Michel Tuan Phan and colleagues have been writing some interesting articles on the ways in which we use our feelings as information. Interesting not least because I want to ask where those feelings came from in the first place.
Success is always rationalised, says Michael Lewis
Princeton University - Princeton University's 2012 Baccalaureate Remarks http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S33/87/54K53/
Selling the Sizzle
Every salesperson has learnt that you don’t sell the sausage, you sell the sizzle. Sizzle: “the desirable, tempting and enticing sounds and aroma that convince you to eat what is basically a dead pig.” Sausages are only the start, of course. Wouldn’t you love more time? This new dishwasher will give you what you want! … Continue reading Selling the Sizzle
“They expected nature to be on their side”: Roland Huntford on Polar Exploration
Discussion of motivational reasoning
Discussing motivational insights for Transition with Stephen Rollnick and Chris Johnstone (in 2006) - http://transitionculture.org/2012/01/30/rollnick-johnstone-and-hopkins-discuss-motivational-insights-for-transition/
Why do People play the Lottery?
Well, why do they? It's the kind of question only those who don't do it would bother asking. I admit I'm one of them. The lottery is a mystery to me - self-evidently daft, like a slow-motion version of taking a pile of cash and setting fire to it. Why would anyone do it? One … Continue reading Why do People play the Lottery?
Everyone loves a quiz
Everyone loves a quiz and Psychology Today magazine has a cultural cognition quiz for you, courtesy of David Ropeik. Roepik is the author of How Risky is it, Really? Why our fears don't always match the facts. His website offers exerpts from the book and -wait for it - more quizzes! While you're here, though, … Continue reading Everyone loves a quiz
Four Cultures 