Superstition Part 1

Superstition Part 1 1. Superstition and Irrational Thinking:  The experiment is designed to explore how superstition develops, especially when people try to find patterns in random or unrelated events. 2. The Experiment Setup:  Five participants are placed in a white room with n...

Superstition Part 1 1. Superstition and Irrational Thinking:  The experiment is designed to explore how superstition develops, especially when people try to find patterns in random or unrelated events. 2. The Experiment Setup:  Five participants are placed in a white room with no instructions except to score 100 points in 30 minutes to unlock a door and win money.  Various objects are placed in the room to encourage interaction and misinterpretation. 3. The Illusion of Control:  A score counter increases seemingly in response to their actions, though it's actually controlled by two goldfish swimming past a line in another room.  This creates a false impression that their behavior is influencing the score, leading them to develop rituals or repeated actions. 4. Skinner's Pigeon Experiment:  The setup mirrors B.F. Skinner’s experiment from the 1960s, where pigeons developed superstitious behavior when food was delivered at random intervals.  The key takeaway: humans, like pigeons, tend to associate actions with outcomes even when there is no causal connection. 5. Interview with a Superstitious Guest:  A guest named Joey discusses personal superstitions (e.g., associating walking under a ladder with bad luck).  She’s asked to play a dart game while blindfolded, surrounded by traditionally unlucky signs (broken mirror, black cat, etc.).  Despite the "bad luck," she hits the queen of hearts, winning a prize and illustrating the arbitrariness of luck and superstition.