Comments on: The surprising power of rote cognition http://www.overcomingbias.com/2009/01/the-surprising-power-of-rote-cognition.html Overcoming Bias is economist Robin Hanson’s blog, on honesty, signaling, disagreement, forecasting, and the far future. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 04:20:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: C http://www.overcomingbias.com/2009/01/the-surprising-power-of-rote-cognition.html#comment-388592 C Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:54:02 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2009/01/the-surprising-power-of-rote-cognition.html#comment-388592 This is only a guess, but it seems the first step towards overcoming rote behavior is to recognize it when it happens. I can think of two possibilities, though both have flaws: The first is to develop the habit of constantly questioning your immediately preceding actions or words. If you do this enough, perhaps it will start to come easily, as this habit will itself become a rote behavior. So if you then catch yourself saying, to use the above example, "I have no idea what you're talking about"---and yes, I admit to having used the phrase insincerely---take the immediate step of correcting yourself. "Wait, that's not true, you're right, I do know. Ya got me." (That assumes, of course, that in hindsight you'll wish you'd been truthful.) Second, keeping in mind that self-discipline is indeed a limited resource, wait until you're in a more relaxed setting and then review in your mind the instances where you've acted out of thoughtless habit and later regretted it. Recall the situation as vividly as possible, and think to yourself how you would have acted if you had kept an open mind and avoided the cliched response. Then visualize yourself harnessing that mindset the next time you need to react quickly. I doubt it's possible to eliminate rote behavior completely, but maybe if you do these things, you'll reduce its control over some of your actions. Of course, part of the problem is that predicting the situations where you'll lapse into rote behavior can't be done. And my guess is that new, unpredictable and therefore uncomfortable settings are those where you're most likely to react without deliberation. Not sure how to overcome this... This is only a guess, but it seems the first step towards overcoming rote behavior is to recognize it when it happens. I can think of two possibilities, though both have flaws:

The first is to develop the habit of constantly questioning your immediately preceding actions or words. If you do this enough, perhaps it will start to come easily, as this habit will itself become a rote behavior. So if you then catch yourself saying, to use the above example, “I have no idea what you’re talking about”—and yes, I admit to having used the phrase insincerely—take the immediate step of correcting yourself. “Wait, that’s not true, you’re right, I do know. Ya got me.” (That assumes, of course, that in hindsight you’ll wish you’d been truthful.)

Second, keeping in mind that self-discipline is indeed a limited resource, wait until you’re in a more relaxed setting and then review in your mind the instances where you’ve acted out of thoughtless habit and later regretted it. Recall the situation as vividly as possible, and think to yourself how you would have acted if you had kept an open mind and avoided the cliched response. Then visualize yourself harnessing that mindset the next time you need to react quickly.

I doubt it’s possible to eliminate rote behavior completely, but maybe if you do these things, you’ll reduce its control over some of your actions.

Of course, part of the problem is that predicting the situations where you’ll lapse into rote behavior can’t be done. And my guess is that new, unpredictable and therefore uncomfortable settings are those where you’re most likely to react without deliberation. Not sure how to overcome this…

]]> By: Paul Gowder http://www.overcomingbias.com/2009/01/the-surprising-power-of-rote-cognition.html#comment-388591 Paul Gowder Mon, 19 Jan 2009 08:05:44 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2009/01/the-surprising-power-of-rote-cognition.html#comment-388591 But then you all would get to see my humiliating rating, and all my cred as a rationalist would go out the window! But then you all would get to see my humiliating rating, and all my cred as a rationalist would go out the window!

]]> By: Mascott http://www.overcomingbias.com/2009/01/the-surprising-power-of-rote-cognition.html#comment-388590 Mascott Mon, 19 Jan 2009 08:04:00 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2009/01/the-surprising-power-of-rote-cognition.html#comment-388590 If I always think as I always thought I will always get as I always got. Rote thinking is the prejudiced mind that is stuck in reaction. Remember this: I Love You and Accept You Even when I need to Understand You Better. Say that to the person in the mirror and then to an other you may need to know seperate from that ROTE/Prejudiced thinking. If I always think as I always thought I will always get as I always got. Rote thinking is the prejudiced mind that is stuck in reaction.
Remember this: I Love You and Accept You Even when I need to Understand You Better. Say that to the person in the mirror and then to an other you may need to know seperate from that ROTE/Prejudiced thinking.

]]> By: Vishal http://www.overcomingbias.com/2009/01/the-surprising-power-of-rote-cognition.html#comment-388589 Vishal Mon, 19 Jan 2009 07:41:52 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2009/01/the-surprising-power-of-rote-cognition.html#comment-388589 Paul, I wonder if you would make public your FICS handle to the readers of this blog! Some of us might enjoy playing a few blitz games with you. I also wonder how many other blog authors and readers play chess on FICS. Paul,

I wonder if you would make public your FICS handle to the readers of this blog! Some of us might enjoy playing a few blitz games with you. I also wonder how many other blog authors and readers play chess on FICS.

]]> By: Aurini http://www.overcomingbias.com/2009/01/the-surprising-power-of-rote-cognition.html#comment-388588 Aurini Mon, 19 Jan 2009 07:22:22 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2009/01/the-surprising-power-of-rote-cognition.html#comment-388588 I've always thought that the majority of the time, we're all on autopilot, not really thinking, just following developed subroutines. It is rare for moments of 'sentience' to occur more than once a week(forgive the terminology, this was my thinking five years ago). I've gone to great lengths to reprogram the subroutines, with a decent ammount of success, through rote practice of modifying behaviours patterns. Do you think the same could be done for biases? Maybe not always being rational, but creating bulwarks against common irrationalities? And would that be sufficient? I’ve always thought that the majority of the time, we’re all on autopilot, not really thinking, just following developed subroutines. It is rare for moments of ‘sentience’ to occur more than once a week(forgive the terminology, this was my thinking five years ago).

I’ve gone to great lengths to reprogram the subroutines, with a decent ammount of success, through rote practice of modifying behaviours patterns. Do you think the same could be done for biases? Maybe not always being rational, but creating bulwarks against common irrationalities? And would that be sufficient?

]]> By: Tomasz Wegrzanowski http://www.overcomingbias.com/2009/01/the-surprising-power-of-rote-cognition.html#comment-388587 Tomasz Wegrzanowski Mon, 19 Jan 2009 05:37:02 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2009/01/the-surprising-power-of-rote-cognition.html#comment-388587 I did say "I have no idea what you're talking about" (with a wtf somewhere added in it) with full honesty just a few days ago. I still have no idea wtf it was about. I made a few guesses of what it was about, but none of them made any sense, so that's what I just said. I did say “I have no idea what you’re talking about” (with a wtf somewhere added in it) with full honesty just a few days ago. I still have no idea wtf it was about. I made a few guesses of what it was about, but none of them made any sense, so that’s what I just said.

]]> By: Less Anonymous http://www.overcomingbias.com/2009/01/the-surprising-power-of-rote-cognition.html#comment-388586 Less Anonymous Mon, 19 Jan 2009 02:07:38 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2009/01/the-surprising-power-of-rote-cognition.html#comment-388586 <p><blockquote>How much of rationality -- of being a good Bayesian Ninja or whatever -- isn't about intelligence, or knowing how to think, but about having the self-control and discipline to exercise those capacities? And what does it mean for our attempts to become more rational if, as a lot of recent psychological research has been suggesting, our self-control generally is a limited resource?</blockquote></p> <p>It means we'll be forced to acknowledge that there are a few more low-hanging apples in the cognitive enhancement tree aside from caffeine (e.g., ritalin, modafinil), and the only thing currently restricting their availability to those with abnormal cognitive deficiencies is a social taboo against drug use by "healthy" people.</p>
How much of rationality — of being a good Bayesian Ninja or whatever — isn’t about intelligence, or knowing how to think, but about having the self-control and discipline to exercise those capacities? And what does it mean for our attempts to become more rational if, as a lot of recent psychological research has been suggesting, our self-control generally is a limited resource?

It means we’ll be forced to acknowledge that there are a few more low-hanging apples in the cognitive enhancement tree aside from caffeine (e.g., ritalin, modafinil), and the only thing currently restricting their availability to those with abnormal cognitive deficiencies is a social taboo against drug use by “healthy” people.

]]> By: Julian Morrison http://www.overcomingbias.com/2009/01/the-surprising-power-of-rote-cognition.html#comment-388585 Julian Morrison Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:59:47 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2009/01/the-surprising-power-of-rote-cognition.html#comment-388585 It doesn't surprise when you realize the relative size and computing horsepower of systems 1 and 2. Put it this way: system 1 is everything you have in common with a chimp, and most of what you have extra. It doesn’t surprise when you realize the relative size and computing horsepower of systems 1 and 2.

Put it this way: system 1 is everything you have in common with a chimp, and most of what you have extra.

]]> By: Paul Gowder http://www.overcomingbias.com/2009/01/the-surprising-power-of-rote-cognition.html#comment-388584 Paul Gowder Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:44:04 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2009/01/the-surprising-power-of-rote-cognition.html#comment-388584 I now realize that the problem with the "have you used the phrase sincerely" question is going to be sampling bias, since obviously those who use it only insincerely won't comment. I now realize that the problem with the “have you used the phrase sincerely” question is going to be sampling bias, since obviously those who use it only insincerely won’t comment.

]]> By: Zack http://www.overcomingbias.com/2009/01/the-surprising-power-of-rote-cognition.html#comment-388583 Zack Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:30:53 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2009/01/the-surprising-power-of-rote-cognition.html#comment-388583 I have also used that phrase sincerely. I have also used that phrase sincerely.

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