PsyPhilProg

ted@tedneward.com | Blog: http://blogs.tedneward.com | Twitter: tedneward | Github: tedneward | LinkedIn: tedneward

Who am I?

Ted Neward, "Computational Philosopher"

Objectives

Programming is an extremely ephemeral activity

Objectives

Given how much we rely on our understand of abstractions...

Psychology

Philosophy

Philosophy

What, exactly, is it?

Philosophy

What is philosophy?

Philosophy

Ironically, most of us are (already) philosophers

Philosophy

Major branches of philosophy

Philosophy

Roger Scruton ("A Short History of Philosophy")

Philosophy

Philosophy is characterized by several things

Philosophy

Most science begins as philosophy

The Sorites Paradox

Exercise in philosophical thought

The Sorites Paradox

When do individual grains of sand become a heap?

The Sorites Paradox

When do individual grains of sand become a heap?

More importantly, why does this paradox take place?

Zeno's Paradoxes

Find the flaw in the argument

Zeno's Paradoxes

The god Apollo and a turtle are going to race

Zeno's Paradoxes

The god Apollo and a turtle are going to race

Apollo gives the turtle a huge head start

Zeno's Paradoxes

The god Apollo and a turtle are going to race

Apollo gives the turtle a huge head start

But if Apollo makes up half the distance between him and the turtle every second...

Zeno's Paradoxes

The god Apollo and a turtle ae going to race

Apollo gives the turtle a huge head start

But if Apollo makes up half the distance between him and the turtle every second...

... he can never catch the turtle!

Zeno's Paradoxes

An arrow is loosed from a bow to fly through the air

Zeno's Paradoxes

An arrow is loosed from a bow to fly through the air

But in any single moment in time, the arrow is not moving

Zeno's Paradoxes

An arrow is loosed from a bow to fly through the air

But in any single moment in time, the arrow is not moving

... therefore the arrow is not really moving at all!

Xenophanes

Early thoughts on what we know

Xenophanes

Xenophanes of Colophon (570 - 475? BC)

Xenophanes

Gods are a reflection of the culture that worships them

Xenophanes

Natural nature of the universe: Mud

Xenophanes

True belief

Psychology

The study of behavior

Psychology

Psychology is...

Psychology

Five main perspectives

'Psychomythology'

Common sense is not so common --Voltaire (1764)

Psychomythology

"Opposites attract""Spare the rod, spoil the child""Familiarity breeds contempt""There's safety in numbers"

Psychomythology

These are popular sayings/platitudes

Psychomythology

Some popular psychological "facts"

All of these are verifiably false

Reasons for Psychomythology

Why do we believe in falsehoods?

Reasons

In some cases, we are misled by supposed experts

Reasons

In some cases, we believe we are the experts

Reasons

In some cases, the science is "close enough"

Reasons

In some cases, it contradicts our common sense

Reasons

Psychological Science vs "Common sense"

Reasons

And yet... science is "uncommon sense"

Reasons

And yet... science is "uncommon sense"

Reasons

This doesn't mean all common sense is wrong

But it does mean that we need to treat common sense with skepticism

Psychomythology: So what?

What can it hurt?

So what?

What real damage is there to believing in a few folk tales?

So what?

Psychological myths can be harmful

So what?

Psychological myths can cause indirect damage

So what?

The acceptance of psychological myths can impede our critical thinking in other areas

Busting psychomythology

Clearing out the garbage

Psychomythbusting

A mythbusting toolkit

Psychomythbusting

Ten sources of error

Psychomythbusting

Ten sources of error

Perception

Not quite as objective as you think

Perception

Literal visual and auditory stimuli is not the end of the story

Perception

Gestalt Psychology

Perception

Gestalt Principles

Perception

Gestalt Principles

Perception

Depth Perception

Perception

Binocular cues

Perception

Monocular cues

Perception

Monocular cues

Perception

Perceptual consistency

Perception

Perceptual set

Perception

Selective attention

Perception

Context effects

Summary

Finishing up

Summary

What do we do with this? (Ask questions, of course!)