Why We See ”Ghost”?

     This is the story my roommate told me…..

     One day, my roommate(called “A”) and her senior high school classmate(called “B”) walked into a restroom.

B: Do you know that there was a homicide case in the toilet? A girl conducted a suicide here because she was cruelly bullied by her peers… It is said that some students have seen a woman hanging herself in the toilet…

A: What??? (Afraid)

B: Wait; don’t you feel there is something wrong with there…?

A: What??? (Much more afraid)

B: Do you…

A: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh~~~~~~~ (Scream and ran away)

(5 minutes later, B caught A.)

B: Why did you run away? I said, do you… smell the odour of chafing dish?

     OK, let’s neglect my roommate and focus on the legend. Why do some people have the illusion of ghosts?

     Well, there are two reasons. First of all, some strong wind or the noise made by the vehicles can cause infrasound(超低頻音). Although we can’t hear infrasound, it brings us the strange feeling. For example, Coventry, a cellar known for ghosts, was found the existence of infrasound. People often say that they have seen the occult phenomenon there.

     Another reason is self-suggestion(自我暗示). If people are suggested that they are in the haunted house, they tend to be afraid and sensitive. They are alert to every subtle signal in the environment, and each of the signals makes them more frightened. In the tensive situation, people are easier to have the illusion.   

    

     Next time staying in the haunted house, suggest yourself that ghosts don’t exist and that nothing is scarier than calculus exam. Then, you won’t fear anymore!

Words: 280

Sources:

Paranormality: Why We See What Isn’t There?

Psychology of Fortune-telling

     “By reading your palm, you must be fed up with the politicians in Taiwan.” “How do you know? Your depiction is so precise!!!!”

 Well, do these fortunetellers really understand us just by reading our palms or birth time? Let’s see the weakness of our brain.

     Please imagine a geometric image with another geometric image in it. (Don’t think too complexly.)

     

     Is your answer a triangle with a circle in it or a circle with a triangle in it?

     In fact, most of our thoughts are the same.

     However, most of us have cognitive bias (認知偏誤). We are inclined to persuade ourselves that we are greater than others to protect our fragile pride. So we deceive ourselves that we are much more unique, humorous or talented than others. Research shows that 94% people feel that their sense of humor is greater than others. 80% of drivers believe that their driving skills are above the average. Therefore, the fortunetellers usually tell us the positive characteristic us have to make us accept their remark happily.

     Apart from cognitive bias, our mind tends to explain the meaningless things. So fortunetellers make their analysis ambiguous and let us explain the meaning by ourselves. 

     Furthermore, humans usually have selective memories (選擇性記憶). We see what we want to see. Fortunetellers catch this weakness of our brain. They give us the totally different analysis of our characters. We often notice the nature we want to listen.

     Therefore, don’t tease those who believe in the politicians fortunetellers firmly. Our defect of cognition causes the consequence.

Words: 273

Sources: Paranormality: Why We See What Isn’t There?

※Sources of Comics: http://forum.gamer.com.tw/Co.php?bsn=60084&sn=2369475&sum=17&min=2348354&this=1&author=f91zero007

Love Psychology

Every time passing through the 5^th girl dorm(女五舍), I always have to wear the sunglasses lest my eyes be blind.

WHY ARE SO MANY COUPLES FLIRTING HERE?????????

Seeing these lovers hug sweetly, singles feel more and more cold and lonely with the coming of winter…..

For many centuries, singles scientists have been curious that why people who love each other and become lovers successfully? To find out the answer, some scientist tried to observe the interaction between couples and do a series of experiments.

Given that couples like to spend a good night together, Kenneth Gergen planned an experiment according to this fact. He let 4 men and 4 women stay in one chamber for an hour. There were only 30% subjects perceive the sex desire. Next, he turned off the light. He traced their actions with infrared ray camera. He found out that nearly 90% subjects touched others on purpose, 50% of them hugged each other, and 80% of them felt a desire of sex…. (What the….)

Aside from the experiment above, Daniel Wegner designed another test. He invited volunteers to play the cards. Each group had 2 men and 2 women. One man and one woman formed a team to versus their enemy. In the board, Wegner ordered a team to cheat by kicking the legs of each other (a kind of flirting between lovers) to signal to their team members. The study showed that those kicking each other found their team members much more charming.

Wish everyone can find their Mr. and Ms. Right before this Christmas by kicking the loving one at night. (?)

Words: 272

Sources: (Book) "Rip It Up, The Simple Idea That Changes Everything"

How to Persuade People?

Opening the history textbook, we are all astonished at the atrocity of Adolf Hitler.

However, we are much more confused that why did these Geheime Staatspolizei (蓋世太保)obey Hitler's order nevertheless theses commands were extremely irrational?

For many years, lots of psychologists conducted related experiments to explore the reason why a kind person submitted to the evil commands easily.  

Stanford Prison Experiment, a classical psychological test, showed that people change their behaviors according to the environment they are in and the figures they play. In Stanford Prison Experiment, people playing the jailers appeared cruel, hot-tempered, and exerted violence to the prisoners arbitrarily. As for the actors of prisoners, they became self-abased. It means that behaviors change our mind easily. When we do an action, we tend to justify it. (If you are interested in the experiment, you can watch the movie “The Experiment”.)

Though the research shows the dark side of human nature, it can cause positive effects if we make a good use of these results such as persuading people to do something.

Nicholas Gueguen, a psychological researcher, did an interesting research. First, he divided local residents into two. He made a phone call to one group (he pretended that he was staff of an electricity company), asking them to join the survey of saving energy. After several days, he invited these residents to participate the plan of saving energy. He found out that those had received the phones increases their motivation of reducing the use of energy.

Well………I have played a role of diligent student and pretend I love calculus, why DID’NT my calculus grades improve at all…..?  

Words: 275

Source: http://pnn.pts.org.tw/main/2011/02/16/%E3%80%90%E8%AA%AA%E6%95%99%E3%80%91%E4%B8%89%E5%80%8B%E5%AF%A6%E9%A9%97%E8%88%87%E9%9D%A2%E5%B0%8D%E3%80%8C%E9%9C%B8%E5%87%8C%E3%80%8D%E7%9A%84%E5%9B%B0%E5%A2%83/