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Quantum Theory May Explain Wishful Thinking
This article describes a fascinating new framework for understanding human cognition and decision making based on principles of quantum probability. Experiments described in this article suggest the classical model of human decision making does not effectively take cognitive dissonance ("wishful thinking" in this case) into account. The resulting quantum model proposed makes a lot more sense to me, and certainly helps explain some of our seemingly irrational impulses.
It's worth noting that this is just a framework, and in time we may discover the reality to be different, but I find this new model very intriguing.
If you are at all interested in understanding the reason why we make the decisions we do, it is worth your while to give this article a read.
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This example pay-off matrix for a Prisoner’s Dilemma game shows that defecting is the rational choice, since a player receives greater pay-offs when defecting (10 or 25) than when cooperating (5 or 20). However, if both players cooperate, each will receive a larger pay-off (20) than if both defect (10). Using a quantum probability model, scientists provide a psychological explanation for why a player might choose to cooperate without any knowledge of his opponent. Image credit: Pothos and Busemeyer.
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In the quantum model, on the other hand, the addition of the cognitive dissonance component produces interference effects that cause the unknown probability to deviate from the average of the known probabilities. While in the classical model an individual is committed to exactly one preference at any given time, in the quantum model an individual experiences a superposition of these preferences. Mathematically, the probability (or amplitude) of defecting in the unknown scenario is obtained from the superposition of probabilities (amplitudes) for the two known cases. These interference effects enable the probability of unknown events to be lower than the probability of either event individually, which is observed in the empirical studies.
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Tweenbots
This is a very interesting social experiment being conducted where cute little robots are sent on a mission to reach a certain location, but are dependent on assistance from the strangers they encounter on the way. The reactions people have to the Tweenbots say a lot about us.
From the article:
>The Tweenbot’s unexpected presence in the city created an unfolding narrative that spoke not simply to the vastness of city space and to the journey of a human-assisted robot, but also to the power of a simple technological object to create a complex network powered by human intelligence and asynchronous interactions. But of more interest to me was the fact that this ad-hoc crowdsourcing was driven primarily by human empathy for an anthropomorphized object.
Go read the article and watch the surveillance footage (available at the site) of Tweenbots attempting to make their way through the crowds.
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Often, people would ignore the instructions to aim the Tweenbot in the “right” direction, if that direction meant sending the robot into a perilous situation. One man turned the robot back in the direction from which it had just come, saying out loud to the Tweenbot, "You can’t go that way, it’s toward the road.”
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The Tweenbot’s unexpected presence in the city created an unfolding narrative that spoke not simply to the vastness of city space and to the journey of a human-assisted robot, but also to the power of a simple technological object to create a complex network powered by human intelligence and asynchronous interactions. But of more interest to me was the fact that this ad-hoc crowdsourcing was driven primarily by human empathy for an anthropomorphized object.
The Nerd Handbook: Rands in Repose
This is an excellent essay written for the poor benighted souls who have taken on having a relationship with a nerd. Honestly, I prefer the term "geek", but in this essay the words are interchangeable. At least in my case, the observations made here may be a little exaggerated, but the general trends described are accurate. I like to think I'm a better listener and more empathetic than what is described here, but you would have to ask those who know me personally to get an objective opinion.
Still, this is a wonderful piece and worth reading for both nerds, and the brave souls who choose to spend time with them.
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First, you need to convince him that you’re going to do your best to recreate his cave in his new surrounding
Paul Buchheit: The first thing that you need to understand about humans
An interesting essay illustrating how human behavior is not rational. This isn't a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention, but it bears repeating less we get too full of ourselves.
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Humans aren't rational -- they rationalize.
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That is a mistake -- denying the truth is irrational and dangerous. By accepting that people are fundamentally irrational, we can deal with ourselves and others in a more rational and effective manner. We can learn to manage our irrational selves (somewhat). If, however, we insist that all of our actions and feelings are rational, then we will never be able to deal with them honestly, and are more likely to cling to irrational beliefs and limitations. If we are going to be honest, then we must admit the possibility that everything we know and believe is, in fact, incorrect.
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What You Say is What You Are - The Problem of Blogger Inferiority Complex
This is excellent advice, as is the author's follow up article [Build Upon What You Build](http://www.problogger.net/archives/2008/05/03/a-secret-to-blogging-success-build-upon-what-you-build/ "Build Upon What You Build").
This piece, as the title suggests, describes the problem with people describing themselves as what they are not, as opposed to what **are**, which becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. This problem, and the advice for dealing with it is sound counsel for people working in any area.
The sting of poverty
This is an interesting article covering an theory advanced by Charles Karelis that traditional economic theories don't apply to the experience of the poor. The idea being that when living in poverty, "we see the world around us not in terms of goods to be consumed but as problems to be alleviated."
It's an interesting read, and while the article admits that Karelis' evidence is a little vague, it seems to me that his arguement rings true. Definitely worth your time to look over and think about.
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In the community of people dedicated to analyzing poverty, one of the sharpest debates is over why some poor people act in ways that ensure their continued indigence. Compared with the middle class or the wealthy, the poor are disproportionately likely to drop out of school, to have children while in their teens, to abuse drugs, to commit crimes, to not save when extra money comes their way, to not work.
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To an economist, this is irrational behavior. It might make sense for a wealthy person to quit his job, or to eschew education or develop a costly drug habit. But a poor person, having little money, would seem to have the strongest incentive to subscribe to the Puritan work ethic, since each dollar earned would be worth more to him than to someone higher on the income scale. Social conservatives have tended to argue that poor people lack the smarts or willpower to make the right choices. Social liberals have countered by blaming racial prejudice and the crippling conditions of the ghetto for denying the poor any choice in their fate. Neoconservatives have argued that antipoverty programs themselves are to blame for essentially bribing people to stay poor.
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