13 examples of how our brains distort reality

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The human brain is an amazingly complex and almost perfect mechanism. But he sometimes fails. Here are some cognitive biases that support this.

1. We do not change our opinion after we are convinced of its erroneousness

Research has shown that if we understand that certain facts refute our point of view, then we will not change our opinion and will defend it with even greater zeal. The human ego is above all. It is much easier for us to assert our absolute correctness than to change our minds.

2. We can feel the rubber hand as real

During the experiment, scientists placed an artificial hand next to the volunteer's hand and covered both with a cloth so that it was impossible to determine where the real one was. When touching a rubber limb, a person experienced tactile sensations, as if touching his hand. This phenomenon is called proprioception - the ability of the brain to sense the location of body parts in space relative to each other.

Thanks to this phenomenon, scientists were able to cure phantom pains that occur after amputation of hands. They positioned the mirror in front of the patient so that he could see the amputated limb in place.

3. The moon does not get larger when approaching the horizon

It seems to us that the closer the moon sinks to the horizon, the larger it becomes. However, this is an optical illusion. When the moon reaches the horizon, nearby objects, such as trees and buildings, create a perspective that makes it visually enlarged.

4. Color affects our perception of temperature

We unconsciously associate red with high temperatures, and blue with low temperatures. Studies have found that people find drinks in a red or yellow glass warmer than a blue or green glass.

5. Constant repetition of false facts makes us believe in them

The American research organization Pew Research Center found out: about 20% of Americans believe that Barack Obama is a Muslim. This belief is not based on any facts. It's just that people constantly heard about it and formed a false opinion. This effect is called the illusion of truth. According to him, the degree of truth of any judgment depends on how many times we have heard it.

6. Not everything we remember was actually

There is a so-called confabulation effect - false memories. A person can really remember events that never happened. The brain is able to substitute facts and combine them in a random sequence. This phenomenon was discovered in 1866 by the German psychiatrist Karl Ludwig Kalbaum.

7. We don't learn by trial and error

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology measured the brain activity of monkeys as they performed right and wrong actions. When the monkey did something right, the next time it was much easier for him to repeat the action. However, repetition after unsuccessful attempts had no positive effect.

8. Squares A and B of the same color

Of course, it seems to us that this is not so. This amazing optical illusion shows that the visual image is the result of the whole work of the brain, and not just the eye. The brain, in this case, "adjusts" the image in accordance with our expectations for the shadow effect.

9. Sight helps us to taste

The researchers asked the subjects to rate the white wine. In the description of the taste, the characteristics inherent in white wine were listed. When scientists repainted the same drink red, volunteers found notes of red wine in it. The experiment was repeated several times, but the results were unchanged. The appearance of food and drinks greatly affects the taste.

ten. We may not notice what is happening in front of our eyes

This phenomenon is called inattention blindness. This is a purely psychological phenomenon: a person concentrating on something can lose sight of a sudden stimulus, even if it is quite significant. This feature of our perception is often used by illusionists.

11. The brain counts: if heads come up five times in a row, it will come up tails on the sixth

It is clear that this is not the case. But our brain ignores the theory of probability. The chance to see the eagle again is the same as before - 50%. However, a gut feeling mistakenly tells us that the odds have changed.

12. We easily find two lines of the same length until others start to make mistakes

The psychologist Solomon Ash put the volunteers in a room with a group of dummies and asked the question: Which of the segments - A, B or C - has the same length as the first segment?”. 32% of the subjects answered this question incorrectly if three other people in the room gave the same incorrect answer.

13. If someone ignores us, the brain finds one reason: this person is a scoundrel

The fundamental human attribution error is responsible for this. Because of it, it seems to us that the behavior of other people is a manifestation of their personal qualities, and not the result of external factors. Thus, the brain, by default, draws incorrect conclusions about the actions of other people.