Somehow I think that Darryl Bem would have interpreted these results differently. :-) This might make an interesting classroom example of how interpretation continues to matter, even in science. It’s not only crucial experiments and statistical analyses.
A Simple Task Uncovers a Postdictive Illusion of Choice Adam Bear and Paul Bloom We like to believe that we know when we've made a choice, but research suggests that this perception may sometimes be an illusion. In one computer task, five white circles appeared in random positions on screen, and participants were asked to predict as quickly as possible which one would turn red. After a circle did turn red, participants indicated whether they had chosen correctly. As the delay between prediction and outcome shortened, participants' reported accuracy increased above chance levels (i.e., 20% correct). The findings suggest that although participants believed that they chose before the circle turned red, the events actually happened in the reverse order. When the delay was brief, participants may have unconsciously perceived the red circle before making their prediction, boosting their accuracy above chance. The findings provide evidence that people can subjectively experience having made a choice before it occurred. Chris ….. Christopher D Green Department of Psychology York University Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Canada 43.773895°, -79.503670° [email protected] http://www.yorku.ca/christo ………………………………... --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=48781 or send a blank email to leave-48781-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
