Category Archives: Psychology

Links and Comments: Republican denial of coronavirus; Trump’s narcissism; Cults and cognitive dissonance

Posted on Monday 5 October 2020 by Mark R. Kelly

Washington Post: The GOP’s coronavirus denialism finally catches up with its leaders, by traditionally conservative writer Max Boot. He responds to a tweet, by a Republican. “Does anyone else find it odd,” she wrote Friday, “that no prominent Democrats have … Continue reading →

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Links and Comments: The Debate; Trump and Christians; No Back to Normal

Posted on Sunday 4 October 2020 by Mark R. Kelly

So much to keep up with! The debate last Tuesday. NYT Editorial: A Debate That Can’t Be Ignored. Subtitle: “Americans need to face the man who is their president.” The debate was excruciating to watch for anyone who loves this … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Psychology, Religion | Comments Off on Links and Comments: The Debate; Trump and Christians; No Back to Normal

Group-Think and Conformity: Solomon Asch

Posted on Friday 2 October 2020 by Mark R. Kelly

As a follow-up to the previous post, I came across a reference to a famous psychological experiment (from 1951) that demonstrates the power of conformity over independent thinking. I read about this case once before…. turns out it was in … Continue reading →

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Notes for the Book: Magical Thinking, Cognitive Dissonance, Group-Thinking

Posted on Wednesday 30 September 2020 by Mark R. Kelly

Extending thoughts from previous posts about the future of enlightenment and similar matters. About group-thinking and how people get along in their lives just fine without understanding how the world actually works (as well-established by physics, chemistry, biology including evolution, … Continue reading →

Posted in Evolution, Psychology, Religion, The Book | Comments Off on Notes for the Book: Magical Thinking, Cognitive Dissonance, Group-Thinking

Links and Comments: America’s Reputation; Facebook; Cognitive Dissonance

Posted on Wednesday 30 September 2020 by Mark R. Kelly

NY Times, 25 Sept.: I Feel Sorry for Americans’: A Baffled World Watches the U.S.. Subtitle: “From Myanmar to Canada, people are asking: How did a superpower allow itself to be felled by a virus? And why won’t the president … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Psychology, Technology | Comments Off on Links and Comments: America’s Reputation; Facebook; Cognitive Dissonance

Links and Comments: Speaking Fox; Ideology and Lies; Fear and Paranoia

Posted on Thursday 17 September 2020 by Mark R. Kelly

It’s difficult to get away from the current crisis, and threat. The Atlantic, Megan Garber: Do You Speak Fox?. Subtitle: How Donald Trump’s favorite news source became a language Political theorists, over the years, have looked for metaphors to describe … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Psychology | Comments Off on Links and Comments: Speaking Fox; Ideology and Lies; Fear and Paranoia

Andrew Shtulman: SCIENCEBLIND: Why Our Intuitive Theories About the World Are So Often Wrong

Posted on Sunday 13 September 2020 by Mark R. Kelly

(Basic Books, 2017) Here’s a book I read earlier this year and am only just now boiling my notes down into a coherent summary. (Well actually I started boiling my notes down but ended up just cleaning up the remainder, … Continue reading →

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Links and Comments: Dishonest Republicans; Covid-19 Skepticism; Carl Sagan’s prediction of a charlatan leader

Posted on Saturday 12 September 2020 by Mark R. Kelly

Why are Republicans so routinely dishonest? Do they think they cannot win without cheating? Or do they think they have some ‘higher purpose’ that excuses cheating (my provisional conclusion, which alas applies to every group of zealots throughout history, who … Continue reading →

Posted in Lunacy, Politics, Psychology | Comments Off on Links and Comments: Dishonest Republicans; Covid-19 Skepticism; Carl Sagan’s prediction of a charlatan leader

Links and Comments: Republican Gaslighting

Posted on Thursday 27 August 2020 by Mark R. Kelly

All of these links just today. Slate: Republicans Are Gaslighting America. Will It Work?. Subtitle: Night three of the RNC was more revisionist history. \\ Salon: Mike Pence’s contemptible convention speech: A fable of failure, culture war and corruption. Subtitle: … Continue reading →

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Links and Comments: Thinking, or Not

Posted on Wednesday 19 August 2020 by Mark R. Kelly

Scientific American: Nine COVID-19 Myths That Just Won’t Go Away. Subtitle: From a human-made virus to vaccine conspiracy theories, we rounded up the most persistent false claims about the pandemic. I’m beginning to think that many, perhaps most, people, do … Continue reading →

Posted in Psychology, Thinking | Comments Off on Links and Comments: Thinking, or Not