Slide 1
IntroductionSeeing What We ExpectSeeing What We
WantHallucinationsMass HysteriaNeurobiological Problems and
Perceptual IssuesImplicationsTable of Content
IntroductionBackSeeing What We ExpectBackWe cannot always trust
what our eyes tell usPerception is not always realityWe can
actually see/hear things that arent thereA great example of this is
this cubeThe cube either points up or down depending on the
viewer's perceptionIntroduction
Our perception is good enoughTwo factors significantly influence
how we perceive the worldwe see what we expect to see and what we
want to see. Kida (2006. pg 102)Prior experiences led us to expect
themDesires have led us to want to see themIntroduction (cont.)
Mass HysteriaBackOur expectations can make us see things that
are not thereExpectations can lead to hallucinations!Kida (2006. pg
103)Expectations have a major effect on how we judge peopleThey
also have an effect on our reactions as wellSeeing What We
Expect
The Lunar EffectSome people believe that on a full moon people
behave strangely
Two groups of nurses (one who believed in the Effect and one who
didnt) were asked to monitor strange behavior of their patients
during a full moon
The ones who believed in the Effect noticed more unusual
behavior then their counterpartsTwo examples
The Surgery StudyAn interesting study to look into the impact of
expectations of patients to recover from surgery
One group of patients was told what would happen in their
surgery (how long it would last, type of pain, when they would
regain consciousness, etc.)
Other group was told nothing.
The first group recovered faster and complained less about pain
then their nave counterparts.Two Examples (cont.)
Seeing What We WantBackExpectations can influence but desires
are an even more potent influenceMany things can act as those
influences, such as religion and politicsWe look for patterns and
it can lead us to biased perceptionAmbiguous stimuli can play an
enormous job in these assumptions because it is left up to
interpretation
Seeing What We Want
We believe that we are more likely to be better at what we do
than other peopleThis can bleed into things like leadership
abilities and our healthWe see what we want to see.Kida (2006. pg
109) For example if we believe in astrology we will think that
horoscopes are accurate but if we dont then well be more likely to
believe if the horoscope is positiveSeeing What We Want (cont.)
Normal people hallucinate!10 to 25 percent of normal people have
experienced at least one hallucination in their lifetime
(International Census of Walking Hallucinations)People are highly
suggestible5 to 10 percent of us can easy be hypnotizedand enhanced
suggestibility can influence our perceptions and believesKida
(2006. pg 111)Hallucinations
A combination of our extreme suggestibility and
misperceptionsCan spread like wildfireCan cause weird beliefs to
become prevalentSalem Witch Trials is an exampleMass Hysteria
The brain is a complex organ that is constantly moving around
information about what we perceive
If the brain is damaged in any number of ways it can hurt how
our brain functions and it can change how we perceive thingsE.g.
Phantom limbs, motion blindness, etc.Neurobiological Promblems and
Perceptual Issues
Our brain has many ways to mess with our perceptionWe see what
we want and what we expectExpectations can be both good and
badHallucinations can spread like wildfire and cause Mass
HysteriaWe cant always trust our senses and so we cant always trust
eye witness accounts
Implications
Kida, T. (2006). Dont believe everything you think: The 6 basic
mistakes we make in thinking. New York: Prometheus
Books.http://i1.wp.com/listverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/400px-necker-cube.svg.pnghttp://www.scientificamerican.com/sciam/cache/file/DA5795F8-78F3-499B-89F3CBA1E9C8ADAD.jpgupload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Full_moon.jpeghttp://www.lumedx.com/Data/Sites/1/media/workflows/surgery/surgery.jpghttp://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/clock-motion-hypnotism-748407.jpghttp://www.steinski.com/wp-content/uploads/witches.jpgwww.medindia.net/patients/patientinfo/images/phantom-limb-syndrome.jpg
Works Cited
