Neuroscience
Most of the time, when a magician asks you to "pick a card" she makes it feel as though you have a free choice, but you don't really. The authors of a new paper say this is a microcosm for many real-life situations in which we feel free to choose, but in fact our choices are heavily influenced and constrained. Jay Olson, a magician and psychologist, and his colleagues, have put a classic card trick technique under the spotlight as a way to study the psychology behind this experience of illusory free choice.
For each of 118 participants approached on the street or on campuses, Olson "riffled" through a pack of cards before asking the participant to "pick a card". The 30-second riffling procedure is part of a "forcing" technique in which the magician uses their thumb to pull up and gradually release one end of the deck, ostensibly to give the participant a glimpse of the available cards in rapid succession. It appears a casual gesture, but the technique is carefully performed so that one card – the target card – is displayed substantially longer than the others, and in fact is often the only card shown long enough to be identifiable.
Nearly 100 per cent of participants ended up picking this target card, which the magician duly anticipated and showed to the participants, thus seeming to read their minds. The researchers then quizzed the participants about the experience. Nearly all those who chose the target card felt that they'd had a free choice over which card they'd selected from the pack. Asked why they'd picked the card they had, most said "no reason", others said it had "stood out", while the remainder confabulated, such as claiming they'd been thinking of that card earlier, or that the target card had been a bright colour (even when it was black).
Next, the research moved to more controlled laboratory conditions. The basic riffling procedure was repeated but using a computer simulation, in which cards were shown briefly in succession with one "target card" presented for significantly longer than 25 other possible choices (150ms vs. 20 to 70ms). Participants were again asked to "pick a card". The simulation was less effective than the real magic trick, with the target card now selected by participants around 30 per cent of the time (of course this still shows a heavy influence on participants' choices).
The researchers next asked participants whether they'd noticed that one card was displayed for substantially longer than the others: 60 per cent said they had. Particularly interesting differences emerged between those aware of this fact, and those unaware. Among the unaware, personality factors were associated with whether they chose the target card – for example, people with a more external locus of control (they feel their lives are controlled by outside factors) were more likely to have picked the target card. Among those aware that one card had been shown for longer than others, personality factors were irrelevant to whether they picked the target card. Instead, features of the target card became significant, with more visually salient and memorable target cards picked more often by this group.
Olson and his colleagues said their findings have practical significance – they show the potential for using magic to study how people's decisions can be influenced without them knowing, perhaps ultimately to help them make wiser, healthier decisions. Of course such findings could also be used for malicious ends, although this wasn't mentioned by the researchers! They did add that their findings also have clinical significance: they say the current study demonstrates feelings of control in the absence of objective control, which is the converse of the experience of some patients with schizophrenia and other conditions, in which they feel their choices are being influenced by outside agents, when in fact they are not.
Olson's team have made their new data freely available for others to access. "By doing so," they explained, "we hope to help researchers participate in this growing field [of "forcing" and the factors that influence choice]. In particular, we hope that similar methodologies which combine the realism of the performing environment with the control of the laboratory will foster collaboration between the art of magic and the science of psychology."
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Olson, J., Amlani, A., Raz, A., & Rensink, R. (2015). Influencing choice without awareness Consciousness and Cognition DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2015.01.004
--further reading--
The new psychology of everyday playing cards
Post written by Christian Jarrett (@psych_writer) for the BPS Research Digest.
- The New Psychology Of Everyday Playing Cards
Aces are easier to see and remember than other cardsPlaying cards, used for games and magic, are so familiar, yet we know remarkably little about the way we perceive and think about them. Are some cards more memorable than others? Are some easier to identify?...
- Want To Spend Less? Ditch Your Credit Card And Don't Shop When Sad
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- Ooh: Boston Public Library Ecards !!
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Neuroscience
Psychologists use magic to study the illusory feeling of free choice
For each of 118 participants approached on the street or on campuses, Olson "riffled" through a pack of cards before asking the participant to "pick a card". The 30-second riffling procedure is part of a "forcing" technique in which the magician uses their thumb to pull up and gradually release one end of the deck, ostensibly to give the participant a glimpse of the available cards in rapid succession. It appears a casual gesture, but the technique is carefully performed so that one card – the target card – is displayed substantially longer than the others, and in fact is often the only card shown long enough to be identifiable.
Nearly 100 per cent of participants ended up picking this target card, which the magician duly anticipated and showed to the participants, thus seeming to read their minds. The researchers then quizzed the participants about the experience. Nearly all those who chose the target card felt that they'd had a free choice over which card they'd selected from the pack. Asked why they'd picked the card they had, most said "no reason", others said it had "stood out", while the remainder confabulated, such as claiming they'd been thinking of that card earlier, or that the target card had been a bright colour (even when it was black).
Next, the research moved to more controlled laboratory conditions. The basic riffling procedure was repeated but using a computer simulation, in which cards were shown briefly in succession with one "target card" presented for significantly longer than 25 other possible choices (150ms vs. 20 to 70ms). Participants were again asked to "pick a card". The simulation was less effective than the real magic trick, with the target card now selected by participants around 30 per cent of the time (of course this still shows a heavy influence on participants' choices).
The researchers next asked participants whether they'd noticed that one card was displayed for substantially longer than the others: 60 per cent said they had. Particularly interesting differences emerged between those aware of this fact, and those unaware. Among the unaware, personality factors were associated with whether they chose the target card – for example, people with a more external locus of control (they feel their lives are controlled by outside factors) were more likely to have picked the target card. Among those aware that one card had been shown for longer than others, personality factors were irrelevant to whether they picked the target card. Instead, features of the target card became significant, with more visually salient and memorable target cards picked more often by this group.
Olson and his colleagues said their findings have practical significance – they show the potential for using magic to study how people's decisions can be influenced without them knowing, perhaps ultimately to help them make wiser, healthier decisions. Of course such findings could also be used for malicious ends, although this wasn't mentioned by the researchers! They did add that their findings also have clinical significance: they say the current study demonstrates feelings of control in the absence of objective control, which is the converse of the experience of some patients with schizophrenia and other conditions, in which they feel their choices are being influenced by outside agents, when in fact they are not.
Olson's team have made their new data freely available for others to access. "By doing so," they explained, "we hope to help researchers participate in this growing field [of "forcing" and the factors that influence choice]. In particular, we hope that similar methodologies which combine the realism of the performing environment with the control of the laboratory will foster collaboration between the art of magic and the science of psychology."
_________________________________
Olson, J., Amlani, A., Raz, A., & Rensink, R. (2015). Influencing choice without awareness Consciousness and Cognition DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2015.01.004
--further reading--
The new psychology of everyday playing cards
Post written by Christian Jarrett (@psych_writer) for the BPS Research Digest.
- The New Psychology Of Everyday Playing Cards
Aces are easier to see and remember than other cardsPlaying cards, used for games and magic, are so familiar, yet we know remarkably little about the way we perceive and think about them. Are some cards more memorable than others? Are some easier to identify?...
- Want To Spend Less? Ditch Your Credit Card And Don't Shop When Sad
As the recession bites, Newsweek magazine has a timely article on some of the brain processes underlying consumer decision making. The author Begley particularly emphasises research showing that people tend to be willing to spend more when they pay by...
- How A Psychological Bias Leads Many People To Pay More Credit Card Interest
New financial rules in the U.K. and elsewhere mean that credit card companies have to take a monthly minimum payment from card-holders who have an outstanding balance. It's a protective measure that's intended to stop card-holders' debt from...
- Why Did I Do That?
What if free will is an illusion? Perhaps we make up the reasons for our actions retrospectively, tricking ourselves into believing we know why we did what we did, when really our behaviour was involuntary. A new study lends credence to this suggestion...
- Ooh: Boston Public Library Ecards !!
from the BPL Online Registration and eCard FAQ : Can I register for a library card online? yes!! For a limited time, Massachusetts State Residents can sign up for a temporary (6 month) Boston Public Library eCard via the web! What is an "eCard"? BPL...