PATTERNICITY: Apophenia vs. Pareidolia

Posted on November 16, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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Patternicity is our brain’s tendency to find patterns in random data. It’s why we see faces in clouds or think the stock market follows our horoscope. According to colleague Dan Ariely PhD, this quirk helped our ancestors survive by recognizing predator shapes in the bushes, but in modern times, it can lead us astray. Our brains love making connections, sometimes too much, seeing patterns where none exist.

So, when you’re convinced that your lucky socks influence your team’s performance, remind yourself: it’s just your brain’s patternicity at work.

Apophenia vs. Pareidolia

Now, “Apophenia is the general term for the human tendency to see patterns in meaningless data that may involve visual, auditory, or other senses,” according to Dr. Harold Hong, a psychiatrist from Raleigh, North Carolina. He points out that pareidolia is a specific form of apophenia that refers to seeing visual patterns in random or ambiguous visual stimuli, such as seeing a face in the clouds.

Apophenia and pareidolia are common occurrences, says Hong, and challenges often only present when someone becomes fixated on specific patterns or details that others perceive as random. “While both phenomena are natural human tendencies, they can become concerning if someone starts to fixate on specific patterns excessively,” he says, noting that apophenia may be prevalent in certain mental health conditions, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

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MEMORY: Fallibility

Posted on November 10, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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Memory is Fallible. Think you have a great memory? Think again.

According to psychologist and colleague Dan Ariely PhD, memory is more like a game of telephone than a recording device. Each time you recall an event, your brain makes tiny edits, adding some flair or skipping the boring parts. It’s why you can’t remember where you left your keys but can vividly recall an embarrassing moment from high school.

So, the next time someone says, “I remember it like it was yesterday,” know that yesterday might be a heavily edited rerun.

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ANCHORING: Initial Mental Brain Trickery

Posted on October 22, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

COGNITIVE BIASES

By Staff Reporters

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According to colleague Dan Ariely PhD, anchoring is the mental trick your brain plays when it latches onto the first piece of information it gets, no matter how irrelevant. You might know this as ‘ first impressions ’ – when someone relies on their own first idea of a person or situation.

Imagine you’re buying a car, and the salesperson starts with a high price. That number sticks in your mind and influences all your subsequent negotiations. Anchoring can skew our decisions and perceptions, making us think the first offer is more important than it is. Or, subsequent offers lower than they really are.

So, the next time you’re haggling or making a big decision, be aware of that initial anchor dragging you down.

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AVOIDANT BEHAVIOR: Disease and Illness

Posted on October 14, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

COMMON SENSE PUBLIC AND POPULATION HEALTH

By Staff Reporters

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According to colleague Dan Ariely PhD, Disease Avoidant Behavior are the actions we take to avoid illness, often driven by instinctive or learned responses. It’s why we wash our hands obsessively during flu season, wear a balaclava mask and/or avoid people who are sneezing or coughing.

Note: A balaclava is a form of cloth headgear designed to expose only part of the face, usually the eyes and mouth. Depending on style and how it is worn, only the eyes, mouth and nose, or just the front of the face are unprotected. Versions with enough of a full face opening may be rolled into a hat to cover the crown of the head or folded down as a collar around the neck.

This behavior is rooted in our evolutionary survival instincts, helping us steer clear of contagious health threats like RSV, COVID and the winter flu. While it’s usually a good thing, excessive disease avoidant behavior can lead to anxiety and social isolation.

So, balance caution with common sense and public/population health directives to stay healthy and sane.

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