British experimental psychologist Hood (Cognitive Development/Univ.
of Bristol) argues that superstition is the product of normal
mental development.A high proportion of adults, even those who are
scientifically literate, hold beliefs that qualify as superstition,
writes the author. For example, people won't wear a sweater they
are told belonged to a mass murderer, and some star athletes insist
on repeating actions that have accompanied previous successes, such
as always eating chicken before a game. The reason lies in
psychology: We insist on finding meaning in the world, treating
random events as if some hidden pattern links them. Behaviorist
psychology grew out of Pavlov's and Skinner's recognition that our
minds make such links on their own, writes Hood, but Piaget's more
subtle analysis reveals that our brains have built-in abilities to
recognize real patterns, like those displayed by natural phenomena,
and that we are already doing so in infancy. A child dropping
things is learning about gravity, and we also learn psychology at
an early age, drawing inferences on how people respond to events
and to our actions. But this useful faculty is also directed at
inanimate objects, as when people give their cars names or curse at
a computer for failing to do what it's told. Our mind's ability to
see analogies leads to what anthropologists call "sympathetic
magic," the notion that similar things are somehow connected to one
another. (This is the idea behind homeopathic medicine, to cite one
example.) Another psychological pattern leads us to associate
special properties with certain items, such as a child's security
blanket or the "lucky" items many adults carry with them.
Collectors of memorabilia are also indulging in a kind of magical
belief, as if something once owned by a famous person possesses
that person's special qualities. Hood persuasively demonstrates
that these beliefs originate in normal psychology, the rational
patterns our minds use to make sense of our surroundings. Drawing
on both laboratory results and everyday experience, he offers a
clear perspective on the subject.Convincing treatment of a
sensitive, frequently contentious issue. (Kirkus Reviews)
Why is it that Tony Blair always wore the same pair of shoes when
answering Prime Minister's Questions? That John McEnroe notoriously
refused to step on the white lines of a tennis court between
points? And that President-elect Barack Obama played a game of
basketball the morning of his victory in the Iowa primary, and
continued the tradition the day of every following primary?
Superstitious habits are common. Do you ever cross your fingers,
knock on wood, avoid walking under ladders, or step around black
cats? Sentimental value often supersedes material worth. If someone
offered to replace your childhood teddy bear or wedding ring with a
brand new, exact replica, would you do it? How about GBP20 for
trying on a jumper owned by Fred West? Where do such feelings come
from and why do most of us have them? Humans are born with brains
designed to make sense of the world and that need for an
explanation can lead to beliefs that go beyond reason. To be true
they would have to be supernatural. With scientific education we
learn that such beliefs are irrational but at an intuitive level
they can be resistant to reason or lie dormant in otherwise
sensible adults. It now seems unlikely that any effort to get rid
of supernatural beliefs or superstitious behaviours will be
completely successful. This is not all bad news - such beliefs are
a useful glue that binds us together as a society. Combining
brilliant insight with witty example Hood weaves a page-turning
account of our 'supersense' that navigates a path through brain
science, child development, popular culture, mental illness and the
paranormal. After reading SuperSense, you will realize why you are
not as reasonable as you might like to think - and why that might
be no bad thing.
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