Phil 105 Critical Think: Day 1

SYSTEM 1

Fast, automatic processes

SYSTEM 2

Slow, deliberate processes

SYSTEMS IN CONFLICT

• not uncommon

• System 2 can recognize the faults in system 1

• Cognitive illusions arise when system 1 persists in getting things wrong, even when we consciously realize they are wrong

SOME CAVEATS (about system 1)

• not always misleading

• necessary for information processing

• can get more reliable through experience and can become skilled intuition

COGNATIVE PITFALLS

• common, predictable errors in human reasoning

• Includes mental glitches and logical fallacies, but others are more systemic

Cognative pitfalls are a result of 3 sources of error:

• Taking shortcuts rather than reasoning effortfully

• Stubbornly clinging to beliefs = Belief perseverance

• Motivating reasoning

SHORTCUTS

• System 1 offers quick responses but sometimes unreliable answers

• appeals to heuristics, ex. Cognitive shortcuts that we commonly use to bypass effortful reasoning

HEURISTICS

• Can be valuable, can reduce time and effort

• Can also lead us astray, ex. Anchoring heuristic, availability heuristic

• can be corrected throughout cognitive reflections

STUBBORNESS

• Beliefs are commitments; they tend to stick around

• Belief perseverance and confirmation bias are well established phenomena in cognitive psychology

BELIEF PERSERVERANCE

holding onto beliefs in the face of contradicting evidence

CONFIRMATION BIAS

noticing or focusing on evidence that confirms a pre-existing view and neglecting evidence against it

EXAMPLE OF CONFIRMATION BIAS

A common example of confirmation bias is the evidence primacy effect

EVIDENCE PRIMARY EFFECT

early information is given more weight than later information

MOTIVATED REASONING

• Motivated reasoning is guided by truth extrinsic norms

• Ex.  Forming or holding onto a belief because we want it to be true, or holding onto a belief because we don’t want to be mistaken

SYSTEM 1: Direct control, transparancy, effort

No direct control, not open to inspection, demands little to no effort

SYSTEM 2: Direct control, transparancy, effort

Can have direct control, open to inspection, demands effort

COGNATIVE REFLECTION

the habit of checking System 2 initial impressions supplied by System 1

GOOD REASONING

• guided by truth related norms

EVOLUTIONARY MISMATCH

an evolved trait stops being useful because of a change in the environment