I don't know how my students would relate to some of these examples, but I
could ask them when they wake up. ;-) I prefer more everyday illustrations
of events or ideas that are naively available and lead to biased judgments or
estimates of probability. Often local media will hype the risks and dangers
of sexual predators or other crimes and lead people to over-estimate the actual
risks. Or students will watch Dr. Phil and get make judgments about psychology
or psychologists from the availability of these images.
A not-totally unrelated source of information and ideas for class
discussion can be found in the book by Richard Wiseman titled, "Quirkology: How
we Discover the Big Truths in Small Things." He covers points that many
tipsters will be familiar with, and some areas are open to more skeptical
interpretation, but he's done some fun research on how people experience
ghosts, what is the funniest joke in the world, does your last name influence
your life, what is the best pick-up line, efforts to continue Milgram's work on
the lost-letter technique,various aspects of superstitious behavior,and issues
of memory reconstruction. Other than being in "Monk withdrawal" while waiting
for the next Anne Perry book, I will probably get Harris' book "No Two Alike"
to keep up with her ideas and the latest arguments raised on TIPS. I am ready
for spring! Gary
Gerald L. (Gary) Peterson, Ph.D.
Professor, Psychology
Saginaw Valley State University
University Center, MI 48710
989-964-4491
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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