This is the 2nd lecture of [[Keith Campbell]]'s *[[PA Intro to Psychology]]* from [[Peterson Academy]] *These notes were done on my second listen through. Most, if not all, bullet point summaries in this document are generated by ChatGPT from the transcript. I added whatever connections I could make as on top of the material.* ## 🌎 How We Make Sense of the World - We **do not record reality like a camera**; instead, we: - Take in a complex world through limited senses. - Reduce it to a **small, usable model** shaped by needs, motivations, past learning. - Operate from that model, **not full reality**. - **Limits of perception:** - Can’t see UV light, hear dog frequencies, notice everything around. - If we tried, we’d be overwhelmed — we naturally filter. - **Key distinction:** - **Sensation:** Raw sensory input. - **Perception:** Integrated into our brain, meaning-laden interpretation. ##### Reflection: There is a significant difference between perception—what we actually see, and sensation—what's out there as raw data. The word is too complex, echoing that of Peterson, hence we necessarily reduce data into simplified models of reality, and operate using these simplified models. In this sense, the act of reduction is a biological necessity, but reductionism as a position stems from conflating what we see and what is out there. It is only when man is the measure of all things that reductionism becomes a viable path to truth. On another note, this discrepancy between what we see and what is actually out there is the foundation for Kant's phenomenon-noumenon distinction, or more generally the distinction between appearance and reality in Philosophy. Meanwhile, the problem of a far too complex world and the natural necessity for models is what underlies Peterson's Map of Meaning, that seeks to provide an answer for which models (for action) are the appropriate ones. --- ## 🌥 Sense-Making Processes - **Pareidolia:** Seeing meaningful patterns (faces, animals) in ambiguous stimuli. - **Apophenia:** Finding patterns or connections where none exist (can lead to conspiracy thinking). - **Visual illusions:** Duck/rabbit, goblet/faces, color illusions like “the dress.” - **Attention:** Selective spotlight; we miss unattended things (e.g., gorilla in basketball video, slight of hand in magic). - **Purpose of perception:** Survival, **not** philosophical accuracy. ##### Reflection: We are biologically wired to recognize patterns and make meaning out of them. That is the mechanism that allows us to "make sense" (out) of things. In other words, we are a species that has a natural desire for meaning, which can imply we have a biological need for meaning. Thus, the [[Meaning crisis|meaning crisis]] is a threat to our species as a whole. --- ## ⚡ Speed-Accuracy Tradeoff This is an effect of the way we are built for survival and not philosophical accuracy. - In nature: - Fast decisions often matter more than precise ones (e.g., seeing a fin → assume shark). - Models must: - Be **adaptive**. - Make **internal sense** (consistency between beliefs and behaviors). - Make sense, or align, socially (consistent, shared reality with others). --- ## 🧠 Dual-Process Models More commonly known as *thinking fast and slow* (the name of the book). Other names include: heuristic vs systematic system, easy vs effortful system, associationistic vs linear system, peripheral vs central system, automatic vs controlled path, X vs C system, system 1 vs 2. - **System 1 (Automatic / Fast / Associative):** - Quick, unconscious, heuristic-based. - **System 2 (Controlled / Slow / Analytical):** - Deliberate, reflective, logical. - **Examples:** - Dating: Fast = attraction; Slow = compatibility. - Shopping: Fast = emotional; Slow = rational analysis. A bit part of learning is taking controlled systems and turning them into automatic systems, with driving being one of those examples among many others. In plainer terms, this is what is happening whenever I want to "be so good at something that I don't have to think about it anymore." This is probably also what is happening when we say Messi makes football look so easy. Familiar things usually invoke the fast system, and training to make things belong to that system is what mastery is, or in Chinese 熟能生巧. --- ## 💥 Heuristics and Biases Goes back to Kahneman - **Availability heuristic:** Judge likelihood by what’s easily recalled (e.g., sharks vs. jellyfish). - **Salience effect:** Give more weight to what stands out. - **Stereotypes:** Fast, automatic judgments based on categories. - **Prospect theory (Kahneman & Tversky):** Losses feel worse than equivalent gains. - **“Bad is stronger than good” (Baumeister):** Negative info weighs more heavily. --- ## 📜 Scripts and Schemas > You need the right schema to interpret the world - **Scripts:** Sequential behavioural expectations for events (e.g., restaurant experience). More on scripts are discussed in this lecture: [[The Narrative Self]]. - **Schemas:** Broader cognitive models we use to interpret situations (e.g., seeing cricket as baseball). It is "what we bring to the table." - **Priming:** Activation of schemas by subtle cues (e.g., “Scotland” → bagpipes). - **Motivational influence:** How we view a situation depends on our goals (e.g., homebuyer vs. burglar vs. inspector). --- ## 💢 Cognitive Dissonance This comes from our need to make sense internally by being consistent. Classic work on this was done by Festinger. There is also an important book on this called "When Prophecy Fails." - **Definition:** Psychological discomfort from holding conflicting beliefs or behaviors. - **Classic examples:** - Smoking despite knowing health risks. - Earthquake panic without damage. - Cults when predictions fail (“When Prophecy Fails” study). - **Resolution strategies:** 1. Change behavior or belief (+ Add social proof) 2. Reduce importance. 3. Add a justifying belief. --- ## 🌍 Social Construction of Reality Our view of reality has to be shared. - **Sherif’s Autokinetic Study:** - Group estimates of a light’s movement converge to shared “reality.” - Newcomers adopt group norm. - Social influence shapes collective perception. - **Other examples:** - Cultural symbols (old man on the moon vs. rabbit)—cultural convergence on ambiguous simuli. - Conformity under social pressure. - **Factors influencing social power:** - Expertise. - Confidence. - Physical attractiveness. - Charisma. --- ## 💭 Relationship Between Objective Reality and Perception - Reality **exists** (e.g., sharks can eat you). - But human interpretation is **flexible**, often distorted, and **socially shaped**. - Extreme examples (flat earth, birds-aren’t-real) show how shared belief can override factual evidence. --- ## 🧪 Scientific Method & Hypothesis Formation A hypothesis is a simple relationship between variables. - **Scientific process:** - Define variables. - Measure constructs. - Run experiments or correlational studies. - Explore mechanisms, moderation. - **Where hypotheses come from:** - Literature gaps. - Intellectual questions (even from novels or philosophy). - Personal curiosity. - Less formal: anything investigable with methods. --- ## 🕯 Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology - William James: Studied mystical, peak religious experiences. - Modern psychology focuses on **observable self**, avoiding “spiritual self.” - Current psychedelic/shamanic research (e.g., ayahuasca) is reviving interest in mystical experience. - Science has no clear tools yet for the spiritual dimension. --- ## 🏋️‍♂️ How Controlled Processes Become Automatic - Through **repetition and practice** → habits. - Examples: - Learning to golf, drive, play music. - Initial effort (controlled) transitions to fluency (automatic). --- ## 💡 Key Takeaways - Human perception = adaptive, biased, socially influenced. - We live by **models of reality**, not reality itself. - Awareness of dual processes can help us pause, reflect, and **choose slower thinking** when needed. - Shared social beliefs anchor our experience of “what’s real.” - Science offers **limited but valuable maps**—useful, but always partial. 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