Cognitive biases are unconscious and systematic errors in thinking that occur when people process and interpret information in their surroundings and influence their decisions and judgments (Kahneman et al., 1982). These biases can distort an individual’s perception of reality, resulting in inaccurate information interpretation and rationally bounded decision-making (Kahneman, 2011). Cognitive biases may also contribute […]
The halo effect refers to the tendency to allow one specific trait or our overall impression of a person, company or product to positively influence our judgment of their other related traits. A single positive quality of a person may induce a positive predisposition toward every aspect of that person while one negative attribute of
The Halo Effect vs The Horn Effect Read Post »
Imagery is a mental performance improvement technique that involves “programming” body and mind with the purpose of responding optimally in a performance situation. The technique is based on the notion that an imagined action activates an internal cognitive representation that is the same as the cognitive representation underlying the “actual” action (see Holmes & Collins,
The history of hypnosis dates back to the late 18th century when Franz Mesmer, a German physician, whose system of therapeutics, known as mesmerism, was the forerunner of the modern practice of hypnotism. He theorized the existence of a process of natural energy transference occurring between all animate and inanimate objects; this he called “animal
Learned Helplessness is a phenomenon that occurs when a series of negative outcomes or stressors cause someone to believe that the outcomes of life are out of one’s control. They believe that they are unable to control or change the situation, so they do not try, even when opportunities for change are available. If a
Learned Helplessness Read Post »
Guilt: a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offense, crime, wrong, etc., whether real or imagined. Shame: the painful feeling arising from the consciousness of something dishonorable, improper, ridiculous, etc., done by oneself or another. Shame and guilt have much in common: they are self-conscious emotions, implying self-reflection and self-evaluation (e.g., Tangney & Tracy,
Familicide is defined as one family member who murders other members of their family, commonly taking the lives of all. It is most often used to describe cases where a parent, usually the father, kills his wife and children and then himself. Familicide is commonly intertwined with the term ‘family annihilator’ stemming from the act
Familicide, Family Annihilator Read Post »
A forced confession is a confession obtained from a suspect or a prisoner by means of torture or other forms of duress. Depending on the level of coercion used, a forced confession is not valid in revealing the truth. The individuals being interrogated may agree to the story presented to them or even make up
Forced Confession is False Confession Read Post »
Lady Astor: If you were my husband, I’d poison your tea. PM Churchill: Madame, if you were my wife, I’d drink it. This jest was published in November 1899. The excerpt below from an Oswego, New York newspaper acknowledged a source called the “Listener”. Neither participant was identified. Boldface has been added to excerpts: The
Art of Communication Read Post »
During the 1960s, Albert Bandura conducted a series of experiments on observational learning, collectively known as the Bobo doll experiments. In 1961 Bandura conducted a controlled experiment study to investigate if social behaviors (i.e., aggression) can be acquired by observation and imitation. They tested 36 boys and 36 girls, aged between 3 to 6 years
Bobo Doll Experiments Read Post »