Pinker the Moral Instinct
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The Folk Psychology of Souls
BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN SCIENCES (2006) 29, 453–498 Printed in the United States of America The folk psychology of souls Jesse M. Bering Institute of Cognition and Culture, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom. [email protected] qub.ac.uk/icc http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/InstituteofCognitionCulture/Staff/ JesseMBering/ Abstract: The present article examines how people’s belief in an afterlife, as well as closely related supernatural beliefs, may open an empirical backdoor to our understanding of the evolution of human social cognition. Recent findings and logic from the cognitive sciences contribute to a novel theory of existential psychology, one that is grounded in the tenets of Darwinian natural selection. Many of the predominant questions of existential psychology strike at the heart of cognitive science. They involve: causal attribution (why is mortal behavior represented as being causally related to one’s afterlife? how are dead agents envisaged as communicating messages to the living?), moral judgment (why are certain social behaviors, i.e., transgressions, believed to have ultimate repercussions after death or to reap the punishment of disgruntled ancestors?), theory of mind (how can we know what it is “like” to be dead? what social-cognitive strategies do people use to reason about the minds of the dead?), concept acquisition (how does a common-sense dualism interact with a formalized socio-religious indoctrination in childhood? how are supernatural properties of the dead conceptualized by young minds?), and teleological reasoning (why do people so often see their lives as being designed for a purpose that must be accomplished before they perish? how do various life events affect people’s interpretation of this purpose?), among others. -
The Psychology of Aversion ... in the Times of Covid-19
Cienc. Acad. (Univ. Catol. Luis Amigó) | N°. 1 | pp. 17-19 | enero-diciembre | 2020 | ISSN (En línea): 2744-838X | Medellín - Colombia Editorial The psychology of aversion ... In the times of covid-19 Antonio Olivera-La Rosa* How to cite this article in APA: Oliveira-la Rosa, A. (January-December, 2020). The psychology of aversion ... in the days of COVID-19 [Editorial]. Science and Academy, (1), pp. 17-19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21501/2744-838X.3718 Without a doubt, we are experiencing a difficult moment. These days, our concerns seem to orbit in one way or another around the threat of being infected and the “costs” derived from regulating it. Although the speed of the “spread” of related information gives this phenomenon a contemporary texture (Dawkins’ memetic analogy, never again in force), the particular economics of preventing infectious contacts is far from being current a concern. Indeed, the presence of parasites and the danger of contracting infectious diseases have been a constant threat to the survival and reproduction of the species from our ancestral past. As a consequence, the need to effectively regulate these threats–often invisible–has “shaped” much of our psychology and our social behavior. Given that one of the most powerful transmitters of pathogens is ourselves it is relevant to look back at the psychology of aversion in the days of COVID-19. Psychologist Steven Pinker (1997) defines aversion as an “intuitive microbiology”. Specifically, it seems that our immune system has a first line of defense that is responsible for avoiding the high energy costs (at the metabolic level) that comes from fighting infectious agents. -
Negativity Bias, Negativity Dominance, and Contagion
Personality and Social Psychology Review Copyright © 2001 by 2001, Vol. 5, No. 4, 296–320 Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Negativity Bias, Negativity Dominance, and Contagion Paul Rozin and Edward B. Royzman Department of Psychology and Solomon Asch Center for Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict University of Pennsylvania We hypothesize that there is a general bias, based on both innate predispositions and experience, in animals and humans, to give greater weight to negative entities (e.g., events, objects, personal traits). This is manifested in 4 ways: (a) negative potency (negative entities are stronger than the equivalent positive entities), (b) steeper nega- tive gradients (the negativity of negative events grows more rapidly with approach to them in space or time than does the positivity of positive events, (c) negativity domi- nance (combinations of negative and positive entities yield evaluations that are more negative than the algebraic sum of individual subjective valences would predict), and (d) negative differentiation (negative entities are more varied, yield more complex conceptual representations, and engage a wider response repertoire). We review evi- dence for this taxonomy, with emphasis on negativity dominance, including literary, historical, religious, and cultural sources, as well as the psychological literatures on learning, attention, impression formation, contagion, moral judgment, development, and memory. We then consider a variety of theoretical accounts for negativity bias. We suggest that 1 feature of negative events that make them dominant is that negative enti- ties are more contagious than positive entities. Brief contact with a cockroach will usually render taminated—that is, lowered in social status—by a delicious meal inedible. -
DIALOGUE Page 1
DIALOGUE Page 1 Volume 23, No. 1 DIALOGUE Dialogue—Spring, 2008 The Official Newsletter of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Chris Crandall & Monica Biernat, Co-Editors SPSP Annual Meeting 2009: Inside the Tampa-Bound in February Current Issue: By Jeff Simpson Tampa is located on Tampa Bay and claims three of the top 10 beaches in the country. SPSP Executive 2, 27 The 2008-2009 SPSP Conference Committee The average February temperature is 72 Committee, Division 8 (Jeff Simpson, Monica Biernat, and Bill degrees F, so this should please conference- Graziano) is pleased to announce that SPSP goers hoping to escape dreary winter locales! Tribute to Bill McGuire 4 will hold its 10th annual meeting in Tampa, Florida on February 5-7, 2009. Other attractions include theme parks, zoos, News from APA Council 6, 25, an aquarium, the Salvador Dali Museum in 32 Sam Gosling and Wendi Gardner have nearby St. Petersburg, and the brick-lined Forsyth on Deception 7 graciously agreed to serve as Program co- streets of former “Cigar Capital of the Chairs for the event, Tara Miller is making World,” Ybor City, now a shopping, restaurant, and museum district that you can Committee News: 10, some special arrangements to celebrate our Publication, 13, th reach from downtown by streetcar. 10 anniversary, and various pre-conference Graduate Students, 19 organizers are beginning to plan their Diversity/Climate individual meetings. SPSP will be arriving shortly after Tampa’s Gasparilla Pirate Festival—the Mardi Gras of Jonas on Ethics and TV 8 The official Call for Submissions will be on- Tampa—which is typically held on the last line in May; see p. -
Heuristics and Biases the Psychology of Intuitive Judgment. In
P1: FYX/FYX P2: FYX/UKS QC: FCH/UKS T1: FCH CB419-Gilovich CB419-Gilovich-FM May 30, 2002 12:3 HEURISTICS AND BIASES The Psychology of Intuitive Judgment Edited by THOMAS GILOVICH Cornell University DALE GRIFFIN Stanford University DANIEL KAHNEMAN Princeton University iii P1: FYX/FYX P2: FYX/UKS QC: FCH/UKS T1: FCH CB419-Gilovich CB419-Gilovich-FM May 30, 2002 12:3 published by the press syndicate of the university of cambridge The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom cambridge university press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK 40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211, USA 477 Williamstown, Port Melbourne, VIC 3207, Australia Ruiz de Alarcon´ 13, 28014, Madrid, Spain Dock House, The Waterfront, Cape Town 8001, South Africa http://www.cambridge.org C Cambridge University Press 2002 This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2002 Printed in the United States of America Typeface Palatino 9.75/12.5 pt. System LATEX2ε [TB] A catalog record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication data Heuristics and biases : the psychology of intuitive judgment / edited by Thomas Gilovich, Dale Griffin, Daniel Kahneman. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-521-79260-6 – ISBN 0-521-79679-2 (pbk.) 1. Judgment. 2. Reasoning (Psychology) 3. Critical thinking. I. Gilovich, Thomas. II. Griffin, Dale III. Kahneman, Daniel, 1934– BF447 .H48 2002 153.4 – dc21 2001037860 ISBN 0 521 79260 6 hardback ISBN 0 521 79679 2 paperback iv P1: FYX/FYX P2: FYX/UKS QC: FCH/UKS T1: FCH CB419-Gilovich CB419-Gilovich-FM May 30, 2002 12:3 Contents List of Contributors page xi Preface xv Introduction – Heuristics and Biases: Then and Now 1 Thomas Gilovich and Dale Griffin PART ONE. -
Flourishing-Positive-Psychology-And
Title: Flourishing: Positive psychology and the life well-lived. Author(s): Keyes, Corey L. M., (Ed), Emory U, Atlanta, GA, US. Haidt, Jonathan, (Ed), U Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, US. Publisher Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association, 2003. xx, 335 pp. Information: ISBN: 1-55798-930-3 Link to this http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pzh&jid=200304013&site=ehost- Publication: live Publication Edited Book Type: Subjects: Health; Positive Psychology; Positivism; Psychology; Well Being; Happiness; Satisfaction Language: English Abstract: The purpose of this volume is to begin to study "that which makes life worthwhile," and to investigate some possible mechanisms for promoting the ranks of healthy, productive, happy, and flourishing individuals. The authors categorize the volume's four sections and indicate wherein each chapter falls. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved) Table of Contents: Contributors Acknowledgments Foreword: The past and future of positive psychology [by] Martin E. P. Seligman Introduction: Human flourishing--the study of that which makes life worthwhile Corey L. M. Keyes and Jonathan Haidt I. Rise to life's challenges Flourishing under fire: Resilience as a prototype of challenged thriving Carol D. Ryff and Burton Singer / 15-36 Turning points as opportunities for psychological growth Elaine Wethington / 37-53 Optimism and flourishing Christopher Peterson and Edward C. Chang / 55-79 II. Engage and relate The construction of meaning through vital engagement Jeanne Nakamura and Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi / 83-104 Personal goals, life meaning, and virtue: Wellsprings of a positive life Robert A. Emmons / 105-128 Toward a positive psychology of relationships Harry T. -
An Introduction to Threat-Heuristic Theory Marika Landau-Wells June 18, 2018 Version
Old Solutions to New Problems: An Introduction to Threat-Heuristic Theory Marika Landau-Wells June 18, 2018 version Abstract The world is a dangerous place. This adage underlies many of the justifications for government. At a more granular level, protecting citizens from potential dangers serves as the justification for many of the measures governments undertake in the domains of foreign and domestic policy. Despite the relevance of danger writ large as a motivating force for outcomes of interest, political science has not yet interrogated the domain of dangers as a coherent space within which to study political preferences, attitudes and behaviors. In this paper, I develop Threat-Heuristic Theory (THT), a new individual-level model of the psychological processes connecting the detection of danger to preferences for reducing that danger through political action. I provide an extensive review of the threat perception literature in biology and cognitive science on which the theory is built. I argue that THT’s model is general enough to apply across the space of dangers writ large and that its mechanisms are species-typical and so apply both to ordinary citizens and to political elites. I also present observational and experimental data from two original surveys to support: (1) THT’s core concept of threat classification; (2) the distinctiveness of threat classification from other relevant constructs, including disposition and political ideology; and (3) the existence of a set of issue areas where THT is likely to outperform existing theories linking threat perception to political behavior. I show that this set includes topics of current relevance, including immigration, fundamentalism, and climate change. -
11 Discourse Analysis Study Questions
5th edition This guide contains suggested answers for the Study Questions, with answers and tutorials for the Tasks in each chapter of The Study of Language (5th edition). This guide contains suggested answers for the Study Questions, with answers and tutorials for the Tasks in each chapter of The Study of Language (5th edition). © 2014 George Yule 2 Contents 1 The origins of language ................................................................................................ 4 2 Animals and human language ................................................................................... 11 3 The sounds of language ............................................................................................. 18 4 The sound patterns of language ............................................................................... 22 5 Word formation............................................................................................................. 26 6 Morphology ................................................................................................................... 32 7 Grammar ....................................................................................................................... 36 8 Syntax ............................................................................................................................ 41 9 Semantics ..................................................................................................................... 47 10 Pragmatics ................................................................................................................. -
Coordination, Indirect Speech, and Self-Conscious Emotions
The Psychology of Common Knowledge: Coordination, Indirect Speech, and Self-Conscious Emotions The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Thomas, Kyle. 2015. The Psychology of Common Knowledge: Coordination, Indirect Speech, and Self-Conscious Emotions. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:17467482 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA The Psychology of Common Knowledge: Coordination, Indirect Speech, and Self-conscious Emotions A dissertation presented by Kyle Andrew Thomas to The Department of Psychology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the subject of Psychology Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts May 2015 © 2015 Kyle Andrew Thomas All rights reserved. Dissertation Advisor: Professor Steven Pinker Kyle Andrew Thomas The Psychology of Common Knowledge: Coordination, Indirect Speech, and Self-conscious Emotions ABSTRACT The way humans cooperate is unparalleled in the animal kingdom, and coordination plays an important role in human cooperation. Common knowledge—an infinite recursion of shared mental states, such that A knows X, A knows that B knows X, A knows that B knows that A knows X, ad infinitum—is strategically important in facilitating coordination. Common knowledge has also played an important theoretical role in many fields, and has been invoked to explain a staggering diversity of social phenomena. -
The False Allure of Group Selection | Conversation | Edge 19/06/2012 16:34
The False Allure Of Group Selection | Conversation | Edge 19/06/2012 16:34 To arrive at the edge of the world's knowledge, seek out the most complex and sophisticated minds, put them in a room together, and have them ask each other the questions they are asking themselves. Get Edge.org by Email Tuesday, Jun 19, 2012 HOME CONVERSATIONS ANNUAL QUESTION EVENTS NEWS LIBRARY ABOUT THE FALSE ALLURE OF GROUP SELECTION WHAT'S RELATED An Edge Original Essay People Steven Pinker [6.18.12] Steven Pinker Johnstone Family Professor, Department Of... Stewart Brand Founder, The Whole Earth Catalog; Co- founder, The... Conversations at Edge [+] A History of Violence Edge Master Class 2011 By Steven Pinker [9.27.11] Language and Human Nature A talk by Steven Pinker [9.30.09] The Stuff of Thought "The Experiment Marathon": A conversation [photo credit: Max Gerber] By Marcy Kahan, Steven Pinker [10.14.07] "I am often asked whether I agree with the new group selectionists, and the questioners are always Preface to Dangerous Ideas surprised when I say I do not. After all, group selection sounds like a reasonable extension of By Steven Pinker [12.31.06] evolutionary theory and a plausible explanation of the social nature of humans. Also, the group selectionists tend to declare victory, and write as if their theory has already superseded a narrow, reductionist dogma that selection acts only at the level of genes. In this essay, I'll explain why I think Beyond Edge that this reasonableness is an illusion. The more carefully you think about group selection, the less sense Stevenpinker.com it makes, and the more poorly it fits the facts of human psychology and history." Books [+] STEVEN PINKER is a Harvard College Professor and Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology; Harvard University. -
Towards a Psychology of Food and Eating: from Motivation to Module
traditional factor analysis to structural-causal 8. Cronbach and Meehl, note 7, p. 291 15. For SFA issues in longitudinal data anal- modeling in developmenlal research, m Experi- 9. t^anonical regression models can be written ysis, see I J. McArdle and F Anderson, Lalenl mental Psychology in the ruiure, V. Sarris and A. as a restricted structural equation model where variable growth models in research on aging, in Parducci,'Eds. (Krlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ, 1984); j.J. we eliminate (a) the error variance D^ ^ 0 on the The Handbook of the Psychology of Aging, J.E. Birren McArdle, Principals versus principles in factor latent variable C and (b) the internal validity as- and K,W. Schaie, Eds. (Plenum Press, New York, analysis, Multivariate Behavioral Researth, 25(1), sumptions of uncorrelated residuals among the V" 1990); J.J. McArdle and F. Hamagami, Modehng Sl-87 (1990). variables; see McArdle and Prescott, note 7. incomplete longitudinal and cross-seclional data 2 For path analysis diagrams, see S. VVrighi, 10. For the debate on job performance, see using latent growth structural models. Experimen- On "Path analysis in genetic epidemiology: A cri- M,J. Ree and J.A. Earles, Intelligence is the best tal Aging Research. 18, 145-167 (1992) tique," American journal of Human Genetics. 35, predictor of job performance, Ciirrenl Directions in 16. For further issues about SFA missing-data 757-762 (1982); J.]. McArdle and S.M. Boker, Psi/chakigical Science, 1, 8^^-89 (1992); RJ. Stern- models, see I'.D. Allison, Estimation of linear RAMpath (Eribaum, Hilhdalc, N), 1990). bcrg and R.K. -
Language As a Window Into Human Nature Ebook, Epub
THE STUFF OF THOUGHT:: LANGUAGE AS A WINDOW INTO HUMAN NATURE PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Steven Pinker | 512 pages | 30 May 2008 | Penguin Books Ltd | 9780141015477 | English | London, United Kingdom The Stuff of Thought:: Language as a Window into Human Nature PDF Book I suppose that PInker argues throughout from a evolutionary psychological view point, but this becomes most clear in the second to last chapter and maybe it is simply because I am still very critical towards that school of thought, but to my mind the second to last chapter is the least convincing. Pinker is known for his wide-ranging explorations of human nature and its relevance to language, history, morality, politics, and everyday life. An extreme nativist holds that the language we use for thought is totally predetermined. This isn't a knee-jerk reaction from a sociologist; socio-biological explanations are generally examples of people reading their own interpretations of the social world, and how it "ought" to be, back into "history" and saying that it's natural. As such these two have been my least favourite of his books. Is it a construction of our language? He seems to think it has a lot to do with verbs. Through this lens, Pinker asks questions such as "What does the peculiar syntax of swearing tell us about ourselves? First we hear of academics that make claims that imply that nearly all words are innate to the human mind, and are inborn as part of our genetic makeup i. He argues with everyone! We hear of psychology, cultural practices, and evolution.