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I think I'll just go read The Bible. It has some very good thoughts on, and examples of, human behavior of all kinds.
posted by
TAPS.
on October 31, 2008 at 2:34 PM
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It's my understanding that the entire advertising business is based on the principle of predicatbilty of group behaviour. Why are sweets displayed at supermarket checkout at about waist-hight of adults? Because then children can see them and grab them and nag their parents to buy them. That's only one example.
posted by
vogue
on October 31, 2008 at 10:09 AM
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Great, now I have proof that I can not and do not and will not know, what I will do next. I feel so much better.
~Peace, OTA
posted by
Blue_feathers
on October 31, 2008 at 8:20 AM
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Very interesting, it reminds me a bit of the book called The Tao of Physics that explores meditation and buddhist believes versus quantum physic. And in my point of view, quite a few so called "sciences" are more art than science....but that's another matter.
posted by
auslander
on October 31, 2008 at 6:13 AM
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Excellent discussion! It is difficult to predict individual behavior for I at times do not understand my reactions to things as well. Shelly
posted by
sam444
on October 31, 2008 at 2:19 AM
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So...
the uncetainty principle is the link between science and behavior, We just can't ever be sure and the questions are endless either way! I love these posts of yours!
posted by
KaBooM62
on October 30, 2008 at 8:42 PM
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Amazing post Naut... I have a background in Psychology as well and though I know that to predict individual behavior is extremely difficult, using subjective ways ( getting to know your subject and the environmental factors that have affected him) and applying known guidelines for his particular personality type, can together give a therapist a pretty good idea of the way said subject will behave at a future time given a specific situation or even in general. Psychology is not an exact science...like math, I would venture to agree with those who classify it as an Art because of the way its findings are open to interpretation and relative to the finder's reasoning. But there are definitely ways of predicting behavior and stereotyping, even though recently has gone under criticism, is a good example of that. Personally, give me any time an "emotional" language that can describe for me feelings and moods rather than as you said : "
a language purged from the emotive content which 'normal' language possesses inescapably" Though many would like to believe there is, I "feel' there can be no definition of what makes us human that rules out emotion. How would you describe love using only math...or sadness, or something as simple as a kiss? Math is important...but so is that ability we have to see in the stars our dreams. Ok I will shut up now, sorry I digressed Excellent thought provoking post...cant wait for the continuation :-)
posted by
Sinome
on October 30, 2008 at 7:44 PM
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Frankly, my dear....that was waaaay too easy....let's move on.......
I need to get lost again. Or, did I miss the point and not know it.....oh dear, now I'm worried (I always loved statistics, always the only math that made any sense to me.....)
posted by
Krisles
on October 30, 2008 at 7:25 PM
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This is very interesting to me, Naut.
My educational background was statistical analysis in the field of psychology (though I never made a career of it, choosing to become a stockbroker instead!Much more cut and dry.....even now
). As you mentioned, designing studies to accurately predict behavior was difficult, as I had to take into account a multitude of variants. Behavior is tough to gauge - nearly impossible to measure. Of course, there are those exemplary experiments - like Milgram's - that cast an unflattering (not to mention frightening) light on mankind!
posted by
gapcohen
on October 30, 2008 at 6:03 PM
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